Strategy CEO Expects Record Growth In Bitcoin Banking Adoption Over Next 12 Months

Financial institutions globally are expanding their involvement in Bitcoin and other digital assets through services, such as custody, trading products, and Bitcoin-backed lending. Strategy CEO Phong Le expects the pace of adoption to increase over the next year, citing regulatory clarity, customer demand, and technological developments as potential drivers.

In a post on social media platform X, Le said the next 12 months could see the biggest increase in Bitcoin banking adoption in history. He said, “The next 12 months is likely to see the biggest increase in Bitcoin Banking adoption in history.”

Strategy’s Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index measures how banks and financial institutions are adopting Bitcoin-related services, including trading, custody, and lending.

Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index Stands At 34 Per Cent

Strategy’s Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index recorded an overall score of 34 per cent in the third quarter of 2026, according to the company’s report. Fidelity scored 77 per cent, followed by JPMorgan Chase at 47 per cent and BNY at 46 per cent among the institutions assessed.

The index covers 25 banking institutions and evaluates their Bitcoin and digital-asset-related activities across 15 dimensions grouped into four categories: trading and custody, products, margin, and leadership. The assessment includes activities, such as access to Bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs), custody services, and Bitcoin-backed lending, alongside developments in Stablecoins and tokenisation.

However, the 34 per cent figure is the overall index score, not the percentage of banks worldwide that have adopted Bitcoin.

What Could Drive Adoption Over The Next Year?

Le added that catalysts such as monetary inflation, regulatory clarity, customer demand, tech modernisation, agentic artificial intelligence (AI), fear of missing out (FOMO), and survival could drive adoption over the next year.

He pointed to regulatory clarity, customer demand and technological advancements as factors that could accelerate Bitcoin banking adoption, while FOMO and institutional survival could add to the pressure on banks to adapt.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $82,132.59, up 1.45 per cent over the previous 24 hours, although it was down 0.39 per cent over the week. Other major cryptocurrencies were also in positive territory, with Ethereum up 3.98 per cent, BNB up 1.84 per cent, XRP up 2.69 per cent, and Solana advancing 4.07 per cent over the past 24 hours.