Banks Adapt to the Crypto Millionaire Wave

According to the Henley & Partners Crypto Wealth Report 2025, there are 241,700 investors globally who own more than USD 1 million in crypto assets, a 40% growth from just a year ago. This has not only created a new class of millionaires but also a new set of challenges for traditional financial institutions. These investors are generally much younger — cryptocurrency is Gen Z’s most common investment. They live internationally and grew up online, expecting a seamless, digital-first wealth experience that is fast, transparent, and provides access to a broad range of products. For many private banks, this represents a profound shift.

The Expectations of Crypto Millionaires

Crypto millionaires are very different from private banking clients of a decade ago. They are used to managing assets on platforms that offer instant execution and full visibility. For them, wealth management is not just about coffees in marble-clad offices but secure, convenient, and cost-efficient access to sophisticated solutions.

This gap is pushing banks to rapidly innovate because having a digital user journey, a reliable platform, and AI-driven tools are no longer optional add-ons but baseline expectations in today’s wealth management landscape.

Wealth-as-a-Service: Bridging the Gap

For many institutions, building modern wealth and AI infrastructure from scratch is prohibitively slow and costly. This is where Wealth-as-a-Service (WaaS) comes in.

WaaS platforms allow banks and wealth managers to embed or white-label sophisticated wealth solutions quickly and efficiently. Whether it is providing curated private market investments, AI-powered portfolio management, or access to advanced public market strategies, WaaS accelerates time-to-market while reducing complexity.

A critical part of this shift, however, is security at scale. Regulated banks must meet stringent technology and risk management standards, while clients who built fortunes in crypto are equally attuned to the risks of custody breaches, hacks, and fraud. WaaS providers have to offer best-in-class security, digital identity verification, and institutional grade custody frameworks to meet these requirements.

For crypto millionaires, this means getting digital-first, personalized, and globally diversified solutions within their preferred banking or investment platforms. For banks, it unlocks growth opportunities and deeper client relationships without the burden of legacy systems.

The Rise of B2B Wealthtech Partnerships

The shift toward institutional readiness is not happening in isolation. Increasingly, banks and wealth managers are partnering with wealthtech firms to adapt.

For example, Arta’s partnership with Wio Invest in the UAE and Income Advisory Financial Advisors in Singapore demonstrates how banks and advisory firms can launch wealth management capabilities for targeted client segments in a matter of months.

Simultaneously, enablers such as Capco and Google Cloud are working alongside wealthtech providers and traditional financial institutions to integrate these capabilities and accelerate transformation. These partnerships combine institutional trust with fintech agility to better serve an emerging client base.

A Catalyst for Transformation and the Future of Wealth Management

The growth of the crypto millionaire class is more than a demographic shift. Banks that embrace digital infrastructure, democratize access, and partner strategically will be best positioned to capture this vast opportunity.

But the real potential for banks and wealth managers is not just about adapting to crypto wealth. It is about building the next generation of private wealth infrastructure that is digital-first, globally connected, and accessible to a far broader set of clients. Institutions that are proactive in this transformation journey will not only serve the crypto rich but also redefine what private wealth means for decades to come.