Bitcoin Makes The Cut As Brazil’s Largest Private Bank Issues 2026 Guidance
According to Itaú Asset Management, Brazil’s largest non-public financial institution, traders ought to think about holding 1%–3% of their portfolios in Bitcoin beginning in 2026. The suggestion got here in a analysis outlook launched this week and frames Bitcoin as a small, complementary holding moderately than a primary guess.
Itaú Backs Small Bitcoin Positions
The financial institution’s note factors to Bitcoin’s low correlation with many conventional property and to foreign money dangers that hit native traders onerous this 12 months. Itaú additionally moved to construct the infrastructure behind that view: in September 2025 it created a devoted crypto division and named former Hashdex government João Marco Braga da Cunha to steer the staff. That new unit sits alongside the financial institution’s current merchandise and is supposed to assist shoppers entry regulated crypto instruments.
Access Through Local Products
Brazilian savers can already attain Bitcoin by way of merchandise tied to Itaú. The financial institution is a part of the staff that launched the IT Now Bloomberg Galaxy Bitcoin ETF, identified by its ticker BITI11, which started buying and selling on November 10, 2022. The ETF provides traders a spot-like path to Bitcoin contained in the native market, and it sits alongside unit trusts and pension merchandise that supply crypto publicity.
Small But Existing Crypto Footprint
Itaú says its regulated crypto suite manages roughly R$850 million throughout a number of funds and ETFs, a modest quantity in contrast with its wider enterprise however nonetheless a transparent sign of product readiness. The financial institution’s asset arm is giant: it manages greater than 1 trillion reais for shoppers, which helps clarify why its steerage on allocations attracts extensive consideration.
Market Context And Timing
Itaú’s transfer arrives after a 12 months by which foreign money swings amplified losses for some Brazilian holders of international property. That actuality seems to be a part of the maths behind recommending a 1%–3% place — a small buffer for these nervous about local-currency shocks, not a guess meant to exchange shares or bonds. The financial institution frames the place as a disciplined, long-term allocation, not a short-term commerce.
What This Means For Investors
For abnormal traders the steerage is easy to learn: maintain publicity small and managed. A 1% place will hardly change a diversified portfolio by itself, whereas 3% continues to be inside what many establishments have referred to as a “satellite tv for pc” slot. Based on experiences, Itaú expects to supply extra decisions — from low-volatility wrappers to riskier methods — via the brand new unit as demand grows.
Featured picture from La Nación, chart from TradingView
