Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest financial institution, has reportedly entered the Bitcoin market by buying €1 million value of the main digital asset.
This interprets to roughly 11 BTC, based on an inside e-mail allegedly signed by Niccolo Bardoscia, the top of the financial institution’s digital asset buying and selling and funding division.
Though Intesa has but to substantiate the acquisition, a number of credible media shops, together with Reuters, have reported on it.
In the meantime, Intesa’s reported Bitcoin acquisition follows a sequence of strategic strikes within the digital asset house.
Final yr, the financial institution’s crypto division reportedly secured approval for spot crypto buying and selling, including to its current choices of crypto choices, futures, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Nevertheless, it’s unclear if this Bitcoin buy indicators its broader enlargement into the digital belongings ecosystem.
Nonetheless, Pierre Rochard, Vice President of Bitcoin Miner Riot Platforms, highlighted the importance of this shift, noting that monetary establishments more and more acknowledge Bitcoin’s potential.
He said:
“All the banks want to start out accumulating BTC to recapitalize their stability sheets.”
Intesa is widely known as a pacesetter in digital asset adoption inside Italy’s conventional finance sector. It additionally holds the highest spot amongst Eurozone banks by market capitalization, valued at €69 billion—outpacing opponents like Santander (€67 billion) and BNP Paribas (€66 billion).
Institutional Bitcoin curiosity
Market observers famous that Intesa’s buy displays a broader pattern of elevated Bitcoin adoption amongst monetary establishments.
Information from Bitwise highlights that company demand for Bitcoin in 2025 has exceeded the provision of newly mined cash. Firms have collectively bought 5,774 BTC because the starting of the yr, whereas solely 5,469 BTC have been mined throughout the identical interval.
Among the many distinguished company consumers is MicroStrategy, which has added roughly 3,600 BTC to its reserves this yr. Different companies like Semler Scientific and Ming Shing Group have additionally turned to Bitcoin of their liquidity and reserve diversification methods.
Hunter Horsley, Bitwise CEO, expects this pattern to proceed this yr, saying:
“Companies shopping for Bitcoin goes to be a significant theme of 2025.”
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