Wells Fargo is one of the most prominent financial institutions in the world. From what we’ve seen, it is often grouped together with Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup as one of the four biggest banks in the USA. According to some reports, these four banks collectively hold 45% of all US customer deposits.
Suffice it to say, a lot of potential crypto investors and traders have their finances tied up with Wells Fargo. If the bank were to hinder crypto spending, that would have a massive impact on the crypto market as a whole.
This is why, in this article, we will dive deep into Wells Fargo’s stance on crypto investments and spending. After all, given the sheer size of this financial institute, a single crypto-related decision can send quakes throughout the whole cryptocurrency community.
Wells Fargo's Approach to Cryptocurrency
Wells Fargo’s crypto policy is an important one as it has the potential to shape the future of crypto investments in the financial industry. The good news is that the financial institution is in full favor of crypto investments. Here’s how:
Wells Fargo's official stance and policies regarding cryptocurrencies
From what we know, Wells Fargo Investment Institute has given the US bank the green light to invest in cryptocurrencies. The organization found that the key strengths of crypto lie in its separation from traditional markets and its reliance on supply and demand mechanics.
This was all stated in a 2021 report we found, titled "The investment rationale for cryptocurrencies." In this report, the Wells Fargo Investment Institute (WFII) said it viewed digital coins as an alternative investment. It states:
WFII believes that crypto-currencies have gained stability and viability as assets, but the risks lead us to favor investment exposure only for qualified investors, and even then through professionally managed funds.
Wells Fargo investment institute
The WFII also believes that the long-term supply and demand trends in crypto will lead to the industry’s growth in the future. They also think that crypto can also witness a reduction in its price volatility.
Restrictions or limitations imposed on customers' crypto-related activities
Short answer, yes, you can buy crypto assets using money you have in your Wells Fargo account. But, as far as we’re aware, there are a few key restrictions that you will have to follow.
For starters, you can only purchase crypto assets from FINRA-licensed exchanges like eToro. This massively limits your options and forces you to use a few specific crypto exchanges.
In addition to that, you cannot purchase crypto assets with a Wells Fargo credit card. Given the volatile nature of most cryptocurrencies, this is quite understandable. That said, we have purchased crypto assets with a Wells Fargo debit card without any issues.
On the other end of the spectrum, Wells Fargo said it would introduce professionally managed funds only for its more wealthy clients. In a report, the investment institute said the risks associated with digital currencies mean that it would only favor "qualified investors".
Wells Fargo's risk management and compliance strategies in crypto
The president of Wells Fargo Investment Institute (WFII), Darrell Cronk discussed these points to the Insider in an interview published in May 2021.
He believes that the crypto arena is maturing and its development allows it to be a feasible investable asset. However, he also discussed the ever-evolving nature of crypto which requires highly efficient and nearly constant maintenance.
Cronk also discussed the potential risks of cryptocurrency investments. Factors like operational, regulatory, or technological failures can lead to massive losses for the institute and its investors. Though, he believes that the entire element of consumer protection and regulations need to evolve with the changing landscape of crypto if it were to ever become a legit investment.
Implications for Customers
Analyzing the interviews and reading the reports published by Wells Fargo gives us some valuable insight into the financial institution's stance on crypto. What we’re more curious about, however, is how this stance impacts their customers’ ability to interact with crypto.
But, before we get into the specifics of the effects of Wells Fargo’s crypto policies, we have to define the type of customer you are. Because you will have different available options depending on the net worth of your business with the Wells Fargo Institute.
In our experience, these available options can be grouped into two sets, that are:
Regular customer
If you’re a regular customer, you can invest in crypto on your own. What we mean by this is that the bank does not provide any direct crypto investment opportunities for their regular customers. In other words, there is no way for you to purchase crypto from Wells Fargo's online banking system.
That said, the ability to purchase crypto assets from third-party exchanges with your Wells Fargo account is still quite useful. All you have to do is add funds to the exchange with your debit card or through direct bank transfer and you can invest in any crypto asset you want.
Though, we would like to reiterate here that this only applies to exchanges that are officially licensed in the US, such as eToro.
With that said, our experience with crypto investments through Wells Fargo was completely hiccup-free. We did not encounter any issues or delays in our payments and the whole process was nearly effortless.
High net worth investor
In the financial world, we refer to any individual with more than 1 million USD in their bank account as a high net worth investor.
If you reach this status with a Wells Fargo account, you’ll be able to access the passive Bitcoin fund offered by the bank. While we weren’t able to try it ourselves — due to the million-dollar requirement — we did some digging and found the necessary details.
To summarize, this fund was created back in late 2021 by partnering with NYDIG; a Bitcoin seller/exchange. If you utilize this fund, you will have to pay a 2% fee on your purchases for convenience.
To be honest, we do not think this high fee is worth it, even for high net worth investors. Especially since major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase have gotten more and more reliable over the years.
Customer sentiment
We were unable to find any sources that compiled customer feedback regarding Wells Fargo’s crypto policy. However, we do have plenty of experience as both crypto investors and Wells Fargo customers. So, we can make an educated guess about general customer sentiment in this regard.
From our understanding, customers would likely be split into two key groups. Some may appreciate the bank’s cautious approach and the steps it has taken to mitigate risks associated with cryptocurrencies. Others may feel frustrated by the limitations imposed by the bank’s policy and may choose to take their business elsewhere.
Regulatory and Legal Factors
All things considered, cryptocurrencies are a relatively new addition to the world of global finance. Because of this, the regulatory landscape is still incomplete and nowhere near as robust or fleshed out as needs to be.
Fortunately, we do see many reports of governments around the world working on establishing clear laws and rules for the use of crypto assets. From our experience, we can also deduce that major financial institutions — like Wells Fargo — might have a say in how these regulations end up. Though, we don’t have any evidence to back this speculation.
Of course, the existing regulation that exists right now varies from one jurisdiction to the other. Some are very strict about who can invest in these assets, while others are taking a more hands-off approach. The USA is somewhere in the middle of these two extremes at the time of writing.
Regulatory challenges behind Wells Fargo’s crypto policy
It wouldn’t be wrong for us to say that Wells Fargo’s crypto policy is quite limited and not as broad as many investors would like it to be. While they did announce professionally managed crypto funds in 2021, they later changed them for a passive Bitcoin fund later the same year.
Now, was this change made due to some internal discussion? Most likely. Was the crypto regulatory landscape in 2021 a factor behind this decision? There is no way for us to know for sure.
The only thing we do know is that even an institute as massive as Wells Fargo cannot simply ignore the ever-changing crypto-related laws.
Regulatory developments and the future of Wells Fargo's approach
Keeping our previous industry experience in mind, we can safely say that regulatory developments could have a significant influence on Wells Fargo’s approach to crypto. As regulations evolve, the bank will likely have to adapt its policies in accordance with new rules and guidelines.
Changes in the regulatory landscape could also create new opportunities or challenges for the bank.
For example, if regulations were to become more lax, Wells Fargo could have a new opportunity to expand into the crypto sphere. It might start offering services like direct crypto investments, even for its regular customers.
On the other hand, if regulations become more restrictive, they will limit the bank’s ability to offer certain products and services related to crypto assets. In a hypothetical situation where crypto is completely banned in the US, Wells Fargo will likely deny any payments meant for crypto exchanges.
All-in-all, it is important for Wells Fargo and other financial institutions to closely monitor developments in the regulatory landscape and be prepared to adapt their approach.
Industry Trends and Competitor Comparison
As far as we know, Wells Fargo's crypto policy is similar to other financial institutions in the industry.
Like many other banks, Wells Fargo doesn’t offer crypto trading directly on its platform to its regular customers. But, it does offer a passive Bitcoin fund for its more wealthy clients with high service fees.
This is the same cautious approach we see that many other banks have taken toward crypto as an investment. The main reason behind this caution is the risks and uncertainties associated with this volatile investment.
Industry-wide trends
As far as trends go, many banks are beginning to explore ways to offer crypto-related services to their customers.
For example, investment bank Morgan Stanley was the first major US financial institution to offer access to Bitcoin funds to its wealthy clients.
Similarly, JPMorgan Chase also partnered with NYDIG to start with a six-crypto asset fund back in 2021.
Wells Fargo's policy against industry norms
There might be some minor differences, but from what we can see, Wells Fargo's policy aligns with the industry norms as a whole.
To summarize, the bank takes a cautious approach to crypto without completely shying away from offering crypto-related services to its customer base.
However, we would like to point out that Wells Fargo's policy may diverge from industry norms in the future.
For example, some banks may choose to offer crypto trading directly on their platforms, while others might tackle it from a more restrictive angle.
Ultimately, each finance institute’s approach will depend on its own risk tolerance and strategic priorities, as well as the border regulatory landscape.
Customer Considerations and Alternatives
One final topic we’d like to discuss is the mindset when looking at Wells Fargo’s crypto policies as a whole. Should you look for alternatives? Or is this good enough? Here’s what we believe:
Factors to consider
As customers of Wells Fargo ourselves, here are the considerations we would recommend you make before considering alternative banks and financial institutions:
What you want
This is the most significant consideration here. Think clearly about what you want.
For example, if you just want to transfer funds from your bank to crypto exchanges and trade crypto assets there, you can do so from Wells Fargo.
Of course, here you should also consider the list of supported exchanges and whether you want to use any platform outside of this list or not. If the answer to this is yes, you should look for more crypto-friendly banks that support most exchanges.
Your financial situation
As we’ve established many times before in this article, Wells Fargo does offer a direct crypto investment service in the form of its Bitcoin fund. But, this fund is only exclusive to their wealthier customers. If you fall within that bracket then great, you can invest in Bitcoin without having to deal with third-party crypto exchanges.
On the contrary, if you’re a regular customer and would like to avail similar services as well, you might have to look for alternative options.
How serious you are about crypto
Let’s be frank, if you’re not serious about using crypto as a possible investment opportunity, there is no point changing banks just to try things out. Besides, you can always sign up for secondary finance services like Cash App and use them to dip your toes in the world of crypto.
Besides, you are not obliged to choose an alternative bank right now. If you do become serious about crypto investments, you can consider an alternative banking option in the future.
Alternatives to consider
If you do want to switch from Wells Fargo to some other bank, your first hurdle is to find one that best fits your needs. But, don’t worry, we already did the hard part for you. After going through a number of notable options, these are the most crypto-friendly banks and financial institutions:
Cash App
We mentioned this briefly before, but Cash App can be a great alternative for entering the crypto market. Technically speaking, it is not a complete replacement for your Wells Fargo bank. Instead, you can think of it as an upgrade to your existing setup.
Once signed up, you can add funds to many popular crypto exchanges — like Binance or Coinbase — through your Cash App or its debit card. You can also purchase Bitcoin directly from the mobile app by following this guide.
Revolut
Out of all the financial services we tried when creating this list, Revolut is the most diverse of them all. For starters, it is available in the US, Europe, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the UK.
In addition to that, it also allows you to invest in more than 30 crypto assets with any fiat currency you have in your account, not just USD. In our experience, it also offers useful services like price alerts and auto exchanges.
Ally
Ally is another online bank that fully integrates the trading and crypto scene alongside its regular services. Not only does it have a flawless integration with crypto giant Coinbase, but you can also set up features like managed portfolios with the Robo-advisor to take your portfolio to the next level.
Advantages and disadvantages of switching to alternatives
If you still haven’t made up your mind about whether you’ll switch to an alternative or not, here are a few pros and cons to help you out.
On the one hand, if you’re not satisfied with Wells Fargo’s crypto policy, we strongly recommend you to consider alternatives. Switching over will allow you to take part in the growing world of crypto without any restrictions.
However, switching banks can be a high effort and time-consuming process. As we stated earlier, this hassle might not be worth the trouble if you’re not serious about investing in crypto.
Conclusion
To summarize, Wells Fargo takes a fairly cautious approach to cryptocurrencies as a whole. For its regular customers, it allows funds to be deposited to FINRA-licensed crypto exchanges. But, regular customers cannot use their credit cards for these transactions.
High net worth clients have access to these features alongside an exclusive passive Bitcoin fund. Though, the fees on this fund are a bit too high in our experience. As a whole, Well Fargo’s policy matches up neatly with a large chunk of the financial sector.
That said, there is a high possibility that the increasing popularity of crypto and future regulatory changes might alter this stance. And, a bank of this size changing its crypto policy will likely send ripples throughout the whole financial sector.
Till then, you can always switch to alternative, more crypto-friendly banks for investing in cryptocurrencies without any issues.