As 2026 begins, a major news story has erupted on Wall Street—one leading investment bank has submitted an application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch two cryptocurrency ETF products, tracking the price movements of Bitcoin and Solana respectively.

At first glance, this might seem nothing special, as the crypto ETF market already exists. But upon closer inspection, the significance becomes clear: previously, this market was largely dominated by asset management firms. Now, a top ten American bank has stepped into the game, marking a completely different level of involvement. This signals that traditional banking is officially entering the crypto compliance arena, prompting the entire industry to ponder—what are they really aiming for? And how will this change the market landscape?

**A Money Machine with Built-in Traffic**

Simply put, the big investment banks have two main goals: seize market share and lock in clients. The bank’s wealth management division manages over 19 million clients, many of whom have idle funds. Once these two ETFs gain regulatory approval, this client capital will continuously flow into Bitcoin and Solana markets. This not only strengthens their presence in the crypto space but also prevents clients from transferring their money to competitors’ products—what industry insiders call the "asset-inherited" approach.

Moreover, there is policy support behind this move. By the end of 2025, U.S. regulators had already signaled that crypto companies can now apply for banking licenses on equal footing. Crypto assets, which once were seen as potentially damaging to a bank’s reputation, have now transformed into a revenue source that "missed opportunities mean losses." With such a clear policy direction, there’s no reason not to act.

**Market Reactions Are Uniform: Better Early Than Late**

Industry opinions on this matter are surprisingly consistent. Analysts openly say, "We didn’t expect it to happen so quickly," as traditional financial institutions previously viewed crypto assets mostly as a spectacle. But some have hit the nail on the head: this bank has extensive distribution channels and a large client base, enabling it to deliver products swiftly to those who need them. Meanwhile, demand for crypto ETFs is sky-high, making this a perfect match.

Others see this as a "major positive signal." What kind of signal? It indicates that the scale and social acceptance of the crypto market have exceeded the expectations of the traditional financial circle. Otherwise, why would even conservative big banks be unable to sit still?

This may just be the beginning.