Italian Banking Giant Intesa Sanpaolo Reveals $96M Bitcoin ETF Bet

Italian banking heavyweight Intesa Sanpaolo has taken a far more meaningful step into digital assets than previously understood.

According to its February 17, 2026 13F filing, the bank held approximately $96 million in spot Bitcoin ETFs as of year-end 2025, a significant escalation from what management had earlier described as a modest “test” allocation.

The disclosure shows direct exposure to regulated U.S. Bitcoin products, alongside a structured hedge that suggests a carefully engineered institutional strategy rather than a simple directional bet.

Direct Bitcoin ETF Exposure

The filing details two major positions:

• ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF: $72.6 million

• iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT): $23.4 million

Together, the holdings total roughly $96 million in spot Bitcoin ETF exposure, giving the bank clean, regulated access to Bitcoin price performance without direct custody risk.

This allocation represents a sharp pivot from January 2025, when CEO Carlo Messina described a €1 million Bitcoin purchase as merely experimental. The new filing indicates that digital assets have moved from a trial phase into core portfolio construction.

The $184.6M Strategy Hedge

More striking than the ETF exposure is Intesa Sanpaolo’s $184.6 million put option position on Strategy (MSTR).

Market observers interpret this as a structured hedge, often described as a “basis trade.” The logic is straightforward:

• The bank maintains long exposure to Bitcoin via ETFs.
• Simultaneously, it holds put options betting that Strategy’s stock could decline.

This positioning suggests the bank views Strategy’s equity valuation as potentially rich relative to the value of its underlying Bitcoin holdings (mNAV). If MSTR stock compresses toward its Bitcoin-backed valuation, the puts gain value, offsetting risk while preserving upside from direct ETF exposure.

Rather than speculating, the structure reflects institutional risk calibration.

Broader Digital Asset Allocation

The 13F also revealed additional crypto-linked positions:

• $4.3 million in the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL)
• $4.4 million in Circle equity
• Smaller stakes in Coinbase and Robinhood

The Solana staking ETF position indicates interest not only in price appreciation but also yield-generating blockchain products. Meanwhile, equity exposure to crypto-native firms broadens the bank’s participation beyond pure asset price exposure.

A Strategic Escalation

This filing signals a structural shift. What began as a limited test allocation in early 2025 has evolved into a diversified digital asset portfolio utilizing regulated ETFs, derivatives hedges, and crypto-linked equities.

The use of a “Shared-Defined” (DFND) structure further suggests coordinated decision-making between the bank and affiliated asset managers, a framework typically reserved for institutional-scale allocation decisions.

In short, Intesa Sanpaolo is no longer experimenting with digital assets. It is allocating, deliberately and structurally.

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