Bank of America Advisers Can Now Recommend Bitcoin ETFs

Ben Graham · January 7

Bank of America is opening the door for its financial advisers to bring up Bitcoin with clients, something they couldn’t do freely before. Starting January 5, 2026, advisers at Merrill, Merrill Edge, and the Bank of America Private Bank can now recommend spot Bitcoin ETFs to eligible clients. The difference is that they don’t have to wait for the client to bring it up first.

Advisers Now Free to Raise Bitcoin as a Topic

Previously, crypto was only discussed if a client asked. That’s changed. Now, advisers are allowed to suggest Bitcoin exposure as part of broader portfolio planning. They’re not pointing clients toward risky, unregulated assets either.

JUST IN: Bank of America officially begins recommending that clients invest up to 4% of their portfolio in Bitcoin and crypto. pic.twitter.com/SGZBxnwHKn

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) January 5, 2026

The bank has signed off on four major spot Bitcoin ETFs from BlackRock, Grayscale, Fidelity, and Bitwise. These are well-known names, and the products themselves are listed and regulated, which makes them easier to plug into traditional investing conversations.

With more than 15,000 advisers across its wealth units, Bank of America flipping this switch gives advisers the green light to proactively talk about Bitcoin like they would with any other asset class. That’s a big shift in tone from previous years, where crypto often sat on the sidelines of formal financial advice.

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Suggested Allocation Range Stays Conservative

The move doesn’t mean advisers are suddenly turning into crypto evangelists. The bank’s chief investment office recommends a Bitcoin allocation of just 1 to 4 percent of a client’s total portfolio. That might sound small, but for high-net-worth clients, even a few percentage points represent real money.

The idea here is to allow some exposure without risking too much. Bitcoin remains volatile, and the bank is leaning into that reality. Rather than overselling the upside, they’re giving advisers a risk-conscious framework that helps clients get exposure while keeping the core of their portfolio stable. The allocation range is flexible too, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all setup. Each recommendation depends on the client’s risk tolerance, goals, and overall financial situation.

Behind the Scenes, There’s Training and Support

This isn’t a free-for-all. Bank of America has prepared training resources and research tools to help advisers understand what they’re recommending. They’re expected to explain how spot ETFs work, how Bitcoin fits into a portfolio, and how to evaluate whether it’s a good match for a specific client.

The support comes directly from the chief investment office, which ensures that discussions stay grounded in actual guidance, not hype. Advisers now have the materials they need to walk clients through the benefits and the risks without making things overly complicated or vague.

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This Opens the Door to a New Kind of Discussion

For clients, this update means Bitcoin isn’t some fringe asset they have to research on their own. It can now be part of a real conversation with their adviser, just like stocks or mutual funds. That takes away a big barrier for clients who may have been curious but unsure how to approach crypto smartly.

This change doesn’t happen in isolation either. Other big banks have started to take similar steps, but Bank of America’s scale makes this one especially important. Bitcoin is getting woven into the fabric of formal financial planning, not as a trendy side topic, but as something that belongs in the mix for certain clients.

Whether other digital assets like Ethereum follow this path is still unclear. For now, though, Bitcoin is leading the way, and how these new conversations unfold in 2026 will say a lot about where crypto fits in the world of long-term investing.

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