Clear Summit 2025: Italians Want Bitcoin in Their Banks

One in two Italians would switch banks to access investment services in crypto-assets. This is the key finding from the market research unveiled at Clear Summit 2025, the event promoted by CheckSig to foster dialogue between traditional finance and the world of crypto-assets.

Clear Summit 2025 brought together over 500 finance professionals, including 200 attending in person at the event hosted by CheckSig. Attendees, eager to understand how Bitcoin and crypto-assets are reshaping investment portfolios, followed presentations by industry leaders, academics, regulators, policymakers, and journalists. One of the highlights was the presentation of quantitative data demonstrating Bitcoin’s low correlation with other asset classes and the growing demand from Italian investors for crypto financial services offered by banks and traditional intermediaries.

Innovation in Mature Markets

The event opened with a keynote speech by entrepreneur Federico Grom, who shared his success story of innovating the ice cream business, offering thought-provoking insights for the financial sector.

Italians Want Bitcoin in Their Banks

The most striking revelation of the Clear Summit was the strong demand from Italian investors for Bitcoin and crypto services provided by established financial institutions. This finding emerged from the Crypto Banking Survey 2025, conducted on a representative sample of 1,000 Italian bank account holders, aged 20 to 60 and currently employed. Michele Mandelli (Managing Partner at CheckSig) and Alberto Grisoni (Editor-in-Chief at AziendaBanca) presented the results:
“24% of respondents have already invested in cryptocurrencies, and an additional 29% intend to do so in the future,” Mandelli explained. “But the most significant data point is that 68% expect their bank to offer one or more crypto-related services, including dedicated accounts, buy/sell capabilities, and qualified advisory services.” According to Mandelli, this shift in financial habits is only set to accelerate: “Anyone currently investing in traditional financial instruments or managing substantial wealth increasingly regards cryptocurrencies as a legitimate asset class.” He also issued a clear warning to the banking sector: “One out of two Italians is willing to open an account with another bank to gain access to crypto services.”

Market Context

The Clear Summit also provided an updated market analysis for the first quarter of 2025. Despite a 19% decline in global cryptocurrency market capitalization, Bitcoin showed strong resilience, maintaining solid trading volumes and limiting losses in a climate of geopolitical tensions, recession fears, and evolving global trade policies. Ferdinando Ametrano, Scientific Director of the Digital Gold Institute and CEO of CheckSig, presented the Institute’s quarterly report, highlighting: “Contrary to common misconceptions, quantitative analysis confirms Bitcoin’s low or negligible correlation with traditional asset classes. This makes Bitcoin an outstanding diversification opportunity for investment portfolios. Moreover, Bitcoin continues to stand out for its robustness compared to the rest of the crypto sector.”

Crypto and Traditional Finance

This increasingly mature and regulated market environment is pushing major European financial players to enter the crypto space. BBVA and Deutsche Börse are already active in crypto services, and Intesa Sanpaolo may soon follow. This evolution was further confirmed during a panel featuring representatives from the world of traditional finance: Simone Calamai (Fundstore), Antonio Cesarano (Intermonte SIM), Luisa Graziani (Romed), and Giordano Martinelli (AcomeA SGR). All speakers recognized the strategic relevance of digital assets in portfolio construction and discussed the operational and regulatory challenges that lie ahead. The shared message was clear: crypto is no longer a niche, but a reality that traditional finance must address, with the backing of supervisory authorities.

The Role of Policy and Financial Education

Clear Summit also hosted a broad dialogue on the role of crypto-assets in Italy’s economic landscape. Members of Parliament — Giulio Centemero (Lega), Marcello Coppo (Fratelli d’Italia), Gianmauro Dell’Olio (Movimento 5 Stelle), and Cristina Tajani (Partito Democratico)—discussed the opportunities tied to digital innovation and the need for clear, non-discriminatory regulation, including from a tax perspective. Financial education was another central theme, with contributions from Pasquale Munafò (Consob) and Emanuela Rinaldi (University of Milano-Bicocca), who stressed the importance of building awareness and ensuring the safe and informed use of digital finance tools.

Looking Ahead

Clear Summit 2025 offered an opportunity to reflect on the past year of developments in the interaction between crypto and traditional finance. Many of the forecasts made at the 2024 edition—regarding Bitcoin’s price growth and the global adoption of crypto as an asset class—have materialized in recent market dynamics and regulatory trends. The coming months will test the openness of Italian and European financial institutions. The next edition, Clear Summit 2026, will continue to chart this evolution.

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