Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset management firm, recently opened its financial brokerage platform to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds linked to digital currencies, a significant change from its years of reluctance, which could lead to attracting a new wave of institutional investments into Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum-ETH and other digital assets.
Starting Tuesday, the company will allow its clients to trade third-party ETFs primarily held in major currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple-XRP and Solana-SOL, provided their investment products meet regulatory standards, according to a Bloomberg report.
This change applies to Vanguard’s brokerage platform in the United States, and crypto investment funds will be treated the same as other “non-core” assets such as gold.
Vanguard’s Huge Brings Bitcoin ETFs to Millions of New Investors
For digital currency investors, this milestone is of great significance given the large size of the company, as it manages $11 trillion in assets and serves more than 50 million clients worldwide, many of whom were previously unable to invest in Bitcoin spot ETFs or similar investment products linked to digital currencies through their existing accounts at Vanguard.
According to Bloomberg, Vanguard will begin allowing ETFs and mutual funds that primarily hold Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana and other cryptocurrencies to trade on its platform starting December 2, 2025, ending its long-standing stance against supporting crypto products. Avant-garde…
-Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) December 1, 2025
Andrew Kadjeski, head of brokerage and investments at Vanguard, told Bloomberg: “Crypto ETFs and mutual funds have been tested during periods of market volatility and performed as expected while maintaining liquidity. The management activities associated with these types of funds have matured as investor preferences continue to evolve.”
This change in approach comes after nearly two years of tension caused by Vanguard’s stated reluctance and the rapid growth of Bitcoin Spot ETFs.
BlackRock’s success has called into question Vanguard’s conservative stance on cryptocurrencies
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has consistently been the fastest ETF to reach $70 billion in assets under management, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in fees each year and demonstrating strong demand for regulated Bitcoin investment exposure on Wall Street.
Vanguard has repeatedly expressed reservations about Bitcoin and other digital currencies as highly volatile speculative assets that are difficult to include in long-term investment portfolio assets, and initially refused to allow clients to trade Bitcoin Spot ETFs after their launch in January 2024.
Former CEO Tim Buckley said at the time that a Bitcoin ETF product should not be part of a typical retirement account, reinforcing Vanguard’s reputation as a conservative company toward cryptocurrencies, even as its competitors have moved to explore the space.
The company will allow trading in regulated crypto ETFs, except those linked to meme currencies.
The company’s leadership has changed since then, with Salim Ramji taking over as CEO of Vanguard this year, highlighting his work as a former executive at BlackRock, where he ran the massive ETF business and spoke publicly about the growth potential of blockchain technology.
Under his leadership, Vanguard has continued to take a cautious approach in issuing its own investment products, recognizing that its clients want to access crypto investments through the same brokerage channels they use for stocks and bonds.
The company says it will include the majority of ETF and third-party investment fund products related to digital currencies provided regulatory requirements are met, but it will exclude products related to meme currencies, and it “does not plan to launch its own crypto investment products.” The company emphasizes that it views direct exposure to digital currencies as speculation and wants clients to be aware of the risks before making investment decisions.
For his part, Kadjeski said: “While Vanguard has no plans to launch its own crypto investment products, we serve millions of investors with diverse needs and varying risk tolerances, and we aim to provide a brokerage platform that allows our clients to invest in the products of their choice.
The article Vanguard Opens Its Platform for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Digital Asset-Linked Investment Funds After Years of Reservation appeared first on Cryptonews Arabic.