Global private bank LGT opens Bitcoin and Ether trading

LGT Group, a top family-owned private banking and asset management group, is moving into cryptocurrency by launching Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) investments at LGT Bank in Liechtenstein.

Managing over $292 billion of assets, LGT Bank has debuted digital asset custody and trading services in cooperation with Swiss cryptocurrency bank Seba, according to a joint announcement released on Wednesday.

“LGT Bank has been offering direct investments in Bitcoin and Ether since May. The private bank has entered into a partnership with Seba Bank, which will act as broker and custodian to provide this service,” Seba Bank’s chief marketing officer Sandra Frank told Cointelegraph.

LGT Bank will initially offer custody and trading services for BTC and ETH. Seba supports more than 14 cryptocurrencies, including altcoins like Litecoin (LTC), Polkadot (DOT), Tezos (XTZ), the Tether (USDT) stablecoin and others.

According to the announcement, LGT’s crypto services will be fully integrated with traditional assets, enabling clients to easily exchange assets in their existing portfolios. The new offering will be initially available to selected client groups of LGT Bank. In order to access the new services, clients must be based in Liechtenstein or Switzerland and be classified as professional clients or be managed by an external asset manager.

Headquartered in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, LGT is one of the world’s largest wealth managers and investment companies. The banking giant traces its history back to 1920 and has a key presence in Switzerland in addition to more than 20 offices around the globe.

LGT Bank’s entrance into crypto aligns with the firm’s commitment to meet the increasing demand for investment opportunities, Liechtenstein’s LGT Bank CEO Roland Matt said. He added:

“The demand for cryptocurrencies has also increased among our clients in recent years. When developing our new offering, we paid particular attention to security while focusing on clear, reliable processes and procedures. They are central for dealing with this dynamic and still quite young asset class.”

The news further reaffirms the ongoing trend of global banks and asset managers increasingly adopting investment services for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. On Monday, Argentina’s largest and second-largest private banks, Banco Galicia and Brubank, announced plans to enable crypto purchases for clients.

Related: German banking giant Commerzbank applies for crypto license

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, some of the world’s most prominent banks made major moves into Bitcoin in 2021, with Bank of New York Mellon announcing plans to hold and transfer BTC as an asset manager on behalf of its clients in February. Other global banks like Argentina’s BBVA and US Bank subsequently announced the launch of similar crypto investment services.