Italy’s largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, has reportedly increased its digital asset exposure in the first quarter of 2026, adding a new XRP-linked position through the Grayscale XRP Trust while expanding its broader crypto portfolio. According to reports citing Q1 data, Intesa Sanpaolo held 712,319 shares of the Grayscale XRP Trust, valued at about $18 million. The position gives the banking group indirect exposure to XRP through an investment vehicle rather than direct token ownership. The reported XRP allocation came as Intesa Sanpaolo’s crypto-related assets rose to about $235 million in Q1 2026, up from roughly $100 million at the end of Q4 2025. The increase shows a wider move into digital asset-linked products across Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP, while the bank reduced some exposure to Solana-linked products. Intesa Sanpaolo is Italy’s largest banking group and one of Europe’s major financial institutions. The group serves about 14 million customers and operates across retail banking, corporate finance, investment banking, wealth management and private banking. XRP Enters Intesa Sanpaolo’s Crypto Portfolio The reported Grayscale XRP Trust position marks Intesa Sanpaolo’s new exposure to XRP during the quarter. The bank’s 712,319-share position was valued at approximately $18 million based on the reported Q1 figures. The XRP-linked position was added through Grayscale’s trust structure. Such products are often used by institutions seeking digital asset exposure through familiar financial wrappers instead of direct custody of tokens. The allocation comes as XRP remains closely followed by institutional investors because of its connection to payments, liquidity tools and the XRP Ledger. The asset has also remained central to U.S. crypto policy debates after Ripple’s long-running legal dispute with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For Intesa Sanpaolo, the XRP position forms part of a wider digital asset portfolio rather than a single-asset move. Reports said the bank increased Bitcoin exposure, added Ethereum exposure for the first time and reduced Solana-linked exposure during the same quarter. Crypto Holdings Rise to $235 Million Intesa Sanpaolo’s crypto-related assets reportedly climbed to about $235 million by the end of Q1 2026. That compares with around $100 million in Q4 2025, marking a sharp quarter-over-quarter rise. Bitcoin remained part of the bank’s digital asset exposure. Reports said the bank expanded its Bitcoin holdings during the quarter, adding to an existing position. The bank also gained Ethereum exposure through the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust. That marked a new addition to the portfolio and showed that Intesa Sanpaolo was not limiting its crypto allocation to Bitcoin alone. At the same time, reports said the bank reduced exposure to Solana through the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF. The portfolio change suggests a rotation across crypto-linked products during the quarter. The use of trust and ETF-style structures reflects how large banks may approach crypto exposure while operating within internal risk rules, custody requirements and regulated investment channels. Ripple Custody Reported in Digital Asset Strategy Concurrently, as we reported, Intesa Sanpaolo is also using Ripple Custody, formerly known as Metaco, as part of its digital asset infrastructure. Ripple Custody provides institutional tools for storing and managing digital assets, including tokenized assets. Custody infrastructure is a key part of institutional digital asset activity because banks need secure systems for asset storage, access controls, transaction approval, and operational reporting. For banks entering tokenized finance, custody platforms can support activity across digital securities, tokenized funds, and other blockchain-based assets. Intesa Sanpaolo’s reported use of Ripple Custody would place XRP-related exposure and digital asset infrastructure within the same broader institutional trend. The bank has existing business lines in wealth management, private banking, corporate banking, and investment banking. Digital asset custody and tokenization tools could support these divisions if client demand for regulated crypto products and tokenized financial instruments continues to grow.
