Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo Expands Crypto Portfolio to $235M with XRP and Ethereum Additions
ITALYS BIGGEST BANK DOUBLED ITS CRYPTO EXPOSURE TO $235M Intesa Sanpaolo, managing over €1 TRILLION in client assets, has reportedly increased its crypto exposure from roughly $100M from Q4 2025 to around $235M in Q1 2026. The substantial increase stemmed primarily from enlarged Bitcoin ETF allocations. The institution boosted its positions in both the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF and BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust. Additionally, it initiated its inaugural derivatives exposure within this sector by purchasing call options on the iShares Bitcoin Trust. Ethereum and XRP Join Investment Mix Intesa established its first Ethereum position by acquiring shares in BlackRock‘s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust. This strategic move represented the bank’s initial venture beyond Bitcoin-focused investment vehicles. The institution simultaneously gained XRP exposure via the Grayscale XRP Trust. This holding carried an approximate valuation of $26 million. Intesa has not publicly clarified whether these assets serve exclusively for proprietary investment purposes or additionally support products marketed to institutional clients. The integration of both Ether and XRP signals a broader diversification strategy for cryptocurrency holdings, while maintaining focus on regulated, exchange-traded instruments. Dramatic Solana Position Reduction Conversely, Intesa dramatically scaled back its Solana allocation. Holdings in the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF plummeted from 266,320 shares to a minimal 2,817 — representing