The world of crypto-friendly banking is a rapidly changing environment. A lot of banks don’t support cryptocurrency transactions at all. Meanwhile, some banks offer the most popular coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, while other more niche banks let you trade dozens of cryptocurrencies.
I’ve personally deposited crypto into my Chase account, but I haven’t purchased crypto directly from a bank account. To determine which banks are the best for crypto investors, our team researched more than a dozen banks that people claim are crypto-friendly.
The article below prioritizes banks that let you buy, sell, and store these digital assets, but also features banks that let you invest in crypto funds.
6 Best Crypto-Friendly Banks
According to a Data Bridge Market Research study, the crypto banking market is anticipated to reach a value of $2.52 billion by 2029.
Here are the banks that are leading the pack as the market evolves:
This section will look at some of the banks that are considered crypto-friendly. Keep in mind that this can mean different things, so our list includes financial institutions that have embraced cryptocurrencies in several different ways.
1. Juno 
- Crypto offering: Buy, sell, deposit
- Number of coins: 30+
- Fees: $0 commissions
While Juno is known for its high yield interest on checking accounts and cashback rewards, it’s recently done a deep dive into crypto, now dubbing itself as the place where banking and crypto meet.
Juno customers can invest their paychecks in crypto. They can also buy and sell cryptocurrencies using their checking accounts, with 0% trading fees imposed by Juno.
You can trade more than 30 coins, listed here, and Metal account holders can buy, sell, and withdraw up to $40,000 per day, $155,000 per month, and $500,000 per year.
Unlike some banks that have a seven-day waiting period, you can cash out on your crypto at any time with Juno.
Learn More:
2. Robinhood 
- Crypto offering: Buy, sell, deposit
- Number of coins: 15
- Fees: $0 commissions
Robinhood is a popular micro-investing app that offers an FDIC-insured cash management account and lets you buy and sell crypto.
The Robinhood Cash Card comes with several perks, like two-day early pay and no overdraft fees. Its most unique feature is the ability to automatically invest a portion of every paycheck in crypto
You can research, buy, and sell Ave, Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and several more coins directly in the Robinhood app. The account has a $10,000 daily crypto transfer limit and lets you set up automatic recurring buys for as low as $1.
3. Wirex 
- Crypto offering: Buy, sell, deposit
- Number of coins: 37
- Fees: 0%-1.5% commissions
While Wirex isn’t a bank per se, it functions similarly to one and allows you to buy and sell more than 37 different currencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, Nano, and Litecoin.
Fiat to fiat exchanges come with zero fees at interbank exchange rates, while crypto and Stablecoins traded to other currencies have a 1.5% trading fee.
You also get a Visa debit card with the account, which allows you to spend your crypto money anywhere Visa is accepted.
Conversions happen in real-time, and you also get crypto-back rewards on purchases. Wirex limits purchases to $4,000 per day and $10,000 per month.
4. Quontic 
- Crypto offering: Bitcoin rewards
- Number of coins: 1
- Fees: 2% exchange fee
Quontic has a unique crypto offering that’s a great fit for new investors and crypto pros. While you won’t be able to directly trade in crypto with Quontic, you can enroll in a Bitcoin Rewards Checking account.
Instead of paying out interest in cash, Quontic rewards you with Bitcoin rewards on all POS transactions made with your debit card.
You can exchange your Bitcoin rewards for cash through NYDIG, a Bitcoin financial services firm, with a 2% fee.
It’s also important to note that the account has a $500 minimum opening deposit requirement and is available in all states but Hawaii and North Carolina.
5. Bank of America 
- Crypto offering: Crypto funds
- Number of coins: NA
- Fees: Vary
Bank of America is one of the best national banks that offers investment options through its company Merrill Edge, allowing customers to invest in several assets.
Unfortunately, you can’t buy cryptocurrencies directly, but that doesn’t mean you can’t invest in them.
If you have a Bank of America Merrill Edge account and want to buy crypto, you can do so through ETFs and funds that track the performance of companies involved in blockchain, which is the underlying technology on which cryptocurrencies are built.
Bank of America is also easy to connect with Coinbase so you can withdraw money much more easily.
Learn More:
6. Ally Bank 
- Crypto offering: Crypto funds
- Number of coins: NA
- Fees: Vary
Ally Bank is a popular online bank that lets you indirectly invest in crypto.
While you can’t actively trade crypto on the app, you can invest in crypto-specific funds, including trusts, Bitcoin futures, and crypto stocks.
The bank also offers a wide selection of investment options, most of which can be traded with no commission fees.
You can choose between managed portfolios, which use a robo-advisor, or self-directed trading, which gives you complete control over your portfolio.
Learn More:
Honorable Mentions
The banks below didn’t make our list as they don’t allow individuals to buy, sell, or hold crypto in their personal bank accounts, or to invest in crypto funds.
However, they do offer some convenient crypto integrations that are worth mentioning.
USAA
USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is a bank serving both current and former military members, their spouses, and their children.
USAA offers several financial products and services, including Coinbase Connect. This integration lets you connect your Coinbase account to USAA.
Doing this allows you to view your crypto balances and monitor any transactions right from the bank’s portal, making it easier to stay on top of your finances in one location.
What is Crypto?
Crypto can mean a lot of things. When talking about finances, crypto usually refers to cryptocurrency – a form of digital currency taking the world by storm.
Traditional currencies like the US Dollar (USD), also known as fiat currencies, have been around in one form or another from the early ages of humanity. They’re used to pay for services and products and are managed by one central entity such as a central bank or the Federal Reserve.
Since traditional currencies are controlled by one entity, the currency’s value is determined by that entity. Of course, other factors come into play since all economies participate in international markets. Even so, traditional currencies are still governed by the Federal Reserve.
How Does Cryptocurrency Work?
Cryptocurrency works differently. It’s not managed by one entity but instead follows a particular protocol. You could say that it’s managed by the same community that owns it.
Essentially, crypto is a digital asset built on blockchain technology which is what makes it so unique. It works on a distributed ledger system, where ledgers (databases) are held in a distributed ecosystem. It’s very different from the traditional banking system where records are kept in one central location.
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) are highly volatile as their value can go up or down quickly. This volatility is due to several factors that include supply and demand and the bitcoin market’s size, which is still comparatively small.
However, as the world gets more accustomed to crypto, it’s starting to be used in more ways than ever before. From ICO (Initial Coin Offering) to helping startups raise funds to Visa and Mastercard-backed ATM cards, crypto is here to stay.
What are Crypto-Friendly Banks?
Since crypto works differently than fiat, buying Bitcoin is a different process than buying dollars. Because it’s relatively new, many people still don’t fully understand how it works, which is why banks have started to offer crypto-buying options.
Traditionally, to buy cryptocurrency, you’d have needed a wallet, an account with an exchange, and a form of payment.
While it may sound complicated, in reality, the process is far simpler than what you’ve probably heard. You use the exchange to pay for cryptocurrency, with the exchange working like a marketplace.
Depending on the exchange you use, once you buy crypto, you can either keep it there or withdraw Bitcoin to your personal wallet.
Crypto-friendly banks simplify this process by transacting on your behalf with the exchange. With this method, you usually don’t need to create any separate accounts as the bank handles everything for you.
Banks vs. Exchanges
One of the biggest advantages of cryptocurrencies is that the banking system is not required at any point in the transaction process. Despite that, crypto has become a major asset.
The rising popularity of Bitcoin is one of the main reasons that banks have become more crypto-friendly. European countries have several crypto-friendly banks such as Revolut and Bankera. US Banks have also started to become more crypto-friendly after the initial criticism.
In most cases, these banks connect to an exchange allowing the customer to buy and sell cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC).
A cryptocurrency exchange is essentially a business that allows you to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. These are usually commission-free, but this doesn’t mean that you are not paying for the service. You pay through a bid-ask spread – the difference in the price between buying and selling an asset – in this case, the digital currency.
The number of exchanges has been increasing exponentially, with SpectroCoin (Estonia), Coinbase (US), and Ripple (US) being but some of the biggest players.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Revolut crypto-friendly?
No. Revolut is a UK-based neobank that used to offer 30+ crypto coins on its banking platform. Effective in October of 2023, Revolut announced that US users can no longer, buy, sell, or store crypto in their Revolut accounts.
Can banks hold cryptocurrency?
In most cases, banks work through a crypto exchange, some of which come with an integrated digital wallet. The wallet allows you to hold your cryptocurrency and access it through a mobile banking app.
Why won’t my bank let me buy crypto?
Some banks block attempted cryptocurrency purchases due to concerns about fraudulent activity and scams.
Fortunately, more and more popular banks are allowing crypto purchases as the industry gets more regulated. Other banks allow you to buy coins directly from their platforms.
What is the easiest way to withdraw crypto to a bank?
If you don’t do business with a bank that allows you to deposit crypto directly, the next best thing is to use a centralized exchange to sell your crypto.
You can also research to see if there are any Bitcoin ATMs in your area.
Our Methodology
To build our list of the best crypto-friendly banks in the US, we evaluated more than a dozen banks with some level of crypto functionality.
To earn a spot on the list, a bank has to allow you to either trade crypto directly or invest in crypto funds. The banks and fintechs that scored highest in our evaluation allow you to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency directly from your bank account.
In addition to crypto trading functionality, we factored in the variety of coins on offer, commissions and other fees, and trading/transfer limits.
We also featured honorable mentions. While these banks didn’t make the cut based on our criteria, they still offer valuable crypto capabilities that could be a good fit for some businesses and individuals.
No comments yet. Add your own