This weekend, the worldwide banking ecosystem is experiencing a swift transformation with top financial platforms increasing their digital asset exposure. In this respect, the National Bank of Canada has recently acquired 1.47M Strategy ($MSTR), accounting for $273M. The respective buyout provides it with an indirect exposure to Bitcoin ($BTC). Additionally, the move highlights the wider demand for crypto adoption in the mainstream money market.
Apart from that, Bank of America is also readying for significant Ethereum ($ETH) exposure. Starting on the 5th of January, the bank will permit financial advisers to recommend $ETH to users, denoting critical endorsements of the top coin in the altcoin market by a leading U.S. institution. The development displays a rising demand among crypto users for diversified cryptocurrency investment options.
At the same time, the development also underscores the expanding role of Ethereum ($ETH) in the financial landscape. As a result, the top altcoin is appearing in the institutional profiles of noteworthy players. Keeping this in view, specifically, the banking entities are rapidly transforming into active crypto participants.
At the same time, France is also witnessing a notable bullish stance toward crypto adoption. In this respect, as reported on Saturday, the BPCE Group, the 3rd-biggest bank in France, is permitting users to purchase crypto assets. Commencing this Monday, the service will enable the buyout of Bitcoin ($BTC), Ethereum ($ETH), Solana ($SOL), and $USDC for users.
As one of the top banking institutions in Europe, BPCE is launching the respective service in a 1st phase, focusing on users of 4 regional platforms out of its 29. This accounts for nearly 2M clients out of over 12M in total. Overall, this broader shift toward crypto suggests that the digital asset integration has become a core element of the future financial strategy rather than just an experimental thing.



Crypto venture funding was weak in November, with only a few major raises driving totals, as overall deal activity reached one of its lowest points this year. Venture capital funding in the cryptocurrency sector remained muted in November, continuing a broader slowdown that has persisted through late 2025. Deal activity was once again concentrated in a small number of large raises by established companies.As Cointelegraph previously reported, the third quarter saw a similar pattern: total funding climbed to $4.65 billion, according to Galaxy Digital, but deal counts lagged as capital flowed primarily to bigger, more mature firms.November reflected the same divergence. Figures from RootData showed only 57 disclosed crypto funding rounds during the month — one of the weakest tallies of the year — despite headline-grabbing raises such as Revolut’s $1 billion round and Kraken’s $800 million raise ahead of its anticipated initial public offering.Read more