Bitcoin is coming to 'hundreds of US banks' — what you need to know

By Marc McLaren
published

Bitcoin will be available to buy, sell and HODL in US bank accounts

Bitcoins
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Bitcoin could become much easier to use, thanks to a new plan to allow customers of hundreds of U.S. banks to buy, sell and hold the cryptocurrency through their existing accounts.

The scheme, as reported by CNBC, is a partnership between crypto custody firm NYDIG and fintech company Fidelity National Information Services and will enable customers to use the top cryptocurrency as easily as they do regular cash. Hundreds of smaller banks have reportedly signed up to the program, which is expected to launch in the next few months.

Bitcoin has grown massively in the past few years, to the extent that it now has a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion and a value of around $55,000 per coin. 

However, one of the barriers to mainstream acceptance of the cryptocurrency has been that buying and selling it typically involves using one of a range of apps from new services such as Robinhood and Coinbase. While some people will be comfortable with that, others may prefer to wait until it's supported by the financial organizations with which they're already familiar.

As Patrick Sells, head of bank solutions at NYDIG, says, “What we’re doing is making it simple for everyday Americans and corporations to be able to buy Bitcoin through their existing bank relationships. If I’m using my mobile application to do all of my banking, now I have the ability to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin.”

Many of the banks to have signed up so far are smaller firms such as Suncrest, a California-based bank with seven branches. But NYDIG says it is in discussions with some of the biggest U.S. banks to join the program.

Crypto funds have enjoyed massive growth recently, with both Dogecoin and Ether — the cryptocurrency based on the Ethereum blockchain — reaching record highs. 

With consumer interest growing, several established financial giants have moved into the space. Last week, Coinbase announced a partnership with PayPal to allow its users to purchase crypto via their existing accounts, and there have also been rumors that eBay will soon allow purchases using the likes of Bitcoin.

  • More: Robinhood app — how it works and everything you need to know 
Marc McLaren
Marc McLaren

Formerly Editor in Chief (U.K.) on Tom’s Guide, Marc oversaw all gaming, streaming, audio, TV, entertainment, how-to and cameras coverage, and was also responsible for the site’s U.K.-focused output. He is now U.K. Editor in Chief on TechRadar. Marc previously edited the tech website Stuff and has tested and written about phones, tablets, wearables, streaming boxes, smart home devices, Bluetooth speakers, headphones, games, TVs, cameras and much more. He also spent years on a music magazine, where his duties mainly involved spoiling other people’s fun, and on a car magazine. An avid photographer, he likes nothing better than taking pictures of very small things (bugs, his daughters) or very big things (distant galaxies). When he gets time, he also enjoys gaming (console and mobile), cycling and attempting to watch as much sport as any human can. He's also fallen in love with Wordle over the past six months and is the author of our today's Wordle answer column, in which he supplies hints and strategy tips for the mega-popular word game. Given he's completed every single Wordle so far and only lost once, and analyzed every Wordle answer in search of patterns, he's well qualified to help you safeguard your streak.