Today in crypto: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) publishes crypto custody bulletin for investors, Itaú Asset has recommended that investors hold 1% to 3% of their portfolios in Bitcoin next year. Meanwhile, NYDIG says tokenization won’t hugely benefit crypto until assets are freed up.
SEC publishes crypto custody guide to educate investors
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a guide outlining best practices for crypto custody and storage for the investing public.
The SEC’s guide outlines the pros and cons of using cold storage versus online hot wallets, how to choose a third-party custodian, and the importance of keeping private keys safe, which are used to sign crypto transactions and verify identity onchain.
Investors who choose third-party custody should always be aware of how the custodian plans to use the assets placed in their care, including whether or not those assets will be lent out or commingled with assets belonging to other clients, according to the SEC.
The SEC’s investor bulletin promoting best practices for crypto storage and custody reflects the sweeping regulatory pivot at the agency following the 2024 presidential election in the US and the appointment of Paul Atkins as SEC chair.
Brazil’s largest private bank advises investors to allocate 3% to Bitcoin in 2026
Itaú Asset Management, the investment arm of Brazil's largest private bank, Itaú Unibanco, has recommended that investors hold 1% to 3% of their portfolios in Bitcoin next year.
In a new research note, Itaú Asset’s Renato Eid said that the global backdrop of geopolitical tension, shifting monetary policy and persistent currency risks strengthens the case for adding Bitcoin (BTC) as a complementary asset.
He called Bitcoin “an asset distinct from fixed income, traditional stocks, or domestic markets, with its own dynamics, return potential, and — due to its global and decentralized nature — a currency hedging function.”
The suggestion comes despite a turbulent year for Bitcoin. The asset began 2025 near $95,000, slid toward $80,000 during the tariff crisis, then surged to an all-time high of $125,000 before settling back around $95,000.
Tokenization benefits ‘light at first,’ but could improve: NYDIG
The tokenization of stocks will be “light at first” and not immediately of great benefit to the crypto market, but that could change if the assets “interoperability and composability increase,” NYDIG global head of research Greg Cipolaro said on Friday.
He said the initial benefits of tokenized assets will be the transaction fees charged for using them and the hosting blockchain would see “increasing network effects,” but more favorable regulations should result in an expanded reach and access “should become more democratized.”
Cipolaro said that making interoperable tokenized assets isn’t straightforward, as they “differ greatly” and are hosted on public and non-public blockchains. Most also still need traditional financial structures to remain legal.
Tokenizing assets such as US stocks has become popular this year with major exchanges wanting to launch tokenized stock platforms. Securities and Exchange Commission chair Paul Atkins has also said that the US financial system could embrace tokenization in a “couple of years.”