Banks expand crypto ties to capture IPO deals under Trump: report

Wall Street banks are pushing to land crypto IPO deals as Trump works to make the U.S. a crypto hub.

Big banks are looking to make more money more with crypto firms as initial public offering opportunities loom, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. According to a Feb. 10 report, Morgan Stanley is now actively seeking crypto clients, while Bank of America is considering more deals, and Royal Bank of Canada wants to expand its crypto portfolio.

The spark of interest comes as exchanges like Gemini and Bullish consider going public. Kraken and stablecoin issuer Circle have also explored public listings before.

Banks are eager to grab these deals as the Donald Trump administration hints at loosening regulations to make the U.S. a crypto leader. At the Bitcoin 2024 Conference, Trump promised that, if elected, he would make the United States the “crypto capital of the planet.”

Bullish once planned to go public in a $9 billion SPAC deal with Far Peak Acquisition. However, in 2022 the exchange dropped the idea. Former CEO Brendan Blumer said the deal was called off because the process was taking “longer than expected.” Bank of America is also preparing for more crypto deals, though specifics remain unclear.

Meanwhile, Swedish fintech giant Klarna is making a big push into crypto ahead of its April IPO. As crypto.news reported earlier, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski shared plans on X to add crypto to the platform. With a potential $15 billion valuation, Klarna’s IPO could be one of the biggest this year.