Wall Street giants open up Bitcoin allocation, 2026 may become a pivotal year for crypto assets

GasFeeLady · 2026-01-05T08:44:22+00:00

January 5th, the second-largest bank in the United States approved wealth management advisors to recommend up to 4% Bitcoin allocation to clients, marking a shift in Wall Street's attitude towards crypto assets and potentially signaling 2026 as a watershed year for large-scale institutional allocations. Bitcoin is gradually becoming part of mainstream investments.

GasFeeLady

2026-01-05 08:44:22

Abstract generation in progress

【BlockBeats】On January 5th, there was quite a bit of news. The second-largest bank in the US (managing assets of $1.7 trillion) officially approved its wealth management advisors to recommend Bitcoin allocation plans to clients, with a cap of 4%.

Honestly, this signal is quite interesting. Since December last year, Wall Street giants have started to change their tone. At the same time, Merrill Securities announced that their team advisors can suggest clients allocate 1%-4% of their assets to cryptocurrencies. Initially, they focused on four spot Bitcoin ETFs—BlackRock’s IBIT, Fidelity’s FBTC, Bitwise’s BITB, and Grayscale’s BTC.

Industry experts generally believe that this is not an isolated incident involving just one or two firms, but rather a concentrated shift in attitude toward cryptocurrencies across the entire traditional financial sector. As more Wall Street institutions open their doors, some predict that 2026 could become a watershed year for cryptocurrencies—the critical point for large-scale institutional investment.

What might this mean for retail investors? At least it indicates that Bitcoin is gradually evolving from a fringe asset to a mainstream part of investment portfolios, with market acceptance continuously increasing. Of course, the 4% cap also reflects that institutions are still in a cautious exploration phase, not in a direct all-in rush.

BTC-2,92%

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DegenTherapist

· 11h ago

Is Wall Street really going all in? The 4% allocation cap... still feels a bit conservative, but this attitude shift is indeed shocking. Wait, those old guys who said Bitcoin was a bubble before, why do they suddenly sound so bullish now... I’ll believe half of the 2026 watershed statement. BlackRock and others are really ruthless; once the spot ETF launches, the entire game changes. Is traditional finance being forced to downgrade, or have they truly understood it? This is how institutions enter the market. We retail investors have already accumulated at the bottom price... Surely we won’t get cut again, haha.

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GasFeeTherapist

· 22h ago

Wall Street is really starting to break down, it's hilarious. Last time they were shouting that the crypto world is full of scammers, and now they're directly allocating 4%? I just want to know how many of their clients are retail investors they persuaded to exit.

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CafeMinor

· 01-05 09:14

Wall Street has finally lowered its head and become more compliant; all that talk before was nonsense. I think the 2026 watershed is still too optimistic. Let's see when genuine institutional funds will actually enter the market. This 4% allocation cap also seems to be a test; they're just afraid of a backlash.

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FloorPriceWatcher

· 01-05 09:09

Wall Street is really starting to change its tune, this wave is different The old guys finally can't sit still anymore. Bitcoin with a 4% quota, and Merrill Lynch is following suit. It feels like 2026 could really be a key milestone But to be honest, it's mainly these ETFs pushing from behind. Retail investors have already jumped on board, and institutions are only now slowly catching up... Is Wall Street about to harvest another wave? Hey The real big money is still far away from entering the market; for now, it's just a small opening

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MetaNomad

· 01-05 09:06

Wall Street's move this time, to be honest, is just catching the dip. They wouldn't touch it before, but now they're very active. Will 2026 really be a watershed year? It still depends on how the Federal Reserve handles it; interest rates are the key. I heard someone has already jumped on IBIT, and I'm still on the sidelines... maybe we should remind each other? Another "key year," this phrase is overused. Last year, it was also said that 2024 would be, and look what happened? But I can't deny that institutional entry is a positive signal; it will happen eventually.

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zkProofInThePudding

· 01-05 09:00

Wall Street is really getting a bit anxious. Previously, they were all bearish, and now they’re collectively changing their tune. Interesting, huh? --- No way, no way. Is this really happening? It seems like a breakthrough could indeed happen in 2026. --- Merrill Lynch and BlackRock are both moving. Can the subsequent institutions still stay put... This has truly become a trend. --- A 4% allocation cap seems conservative, but going from zero to something is a signal. --- Wait, they just bearish on Bitcoin and then immediately recommend allocation. This shift is way too fast.

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BlockchainArchaeologist

· 01-05 08:44

Wall Street's recent shift really can't be contained anymore. The previous narrative of "Bitcoin is a scam" is no longer being mentioned? How ironic... Anyway, I just want to see how the coin price will move after they allocate 4%, to avoid another new trick of cutting the leeks. The 2026 watershed? Alright, but it depends on whether institutions are really putting in real money; just talking about it doesn't count. As for institutional entry... it feels a bit too late, haha. Wait, BlackRock IBIT was already betting on this back then? Why didn't I keep up...

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