Vanguard appears to be taking another step toward the digital asset sector after CoinDesk reported that the $11 trillion asset manager had posted its first-ever Head of Digital Assets role.
The reported hiring marks a significant departure from the firm’s long-standing reluctance to engage with cryptocurrency-related products and has generated fresh interest across the digital asset industry.
Crypto researcher SMQKE later highlighted the development on X, connecting Vanguard’s reported shift with XRP. To support his post, he attached documents outlining several institutional developments involving major financial firms and the continued expansion of regulated crypto investment products.
Vanguard 🤝 XRP
Documented.📝👇 https://t.co/2DMuSbmmd6 pic.twitter.com/o4keyUKGnj
— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) July 7, 2026
Documents Outline Broader Institutional Adoption
One of the documents attached to SMQKE’s post referenced a Bloomberg report stating that Bank of America had approved its wealth advisors to recommend crypto allocations of up to 4% in client portfolios beginning in January 2026. The document stated that the recommendations would initially focus on spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, including products from BlackRock, Fidelity, Bitwise, and Grayscale.
The material also stated that Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and UBS were expected to follow by expanding access to Bitcoin ETFs for their financial advisors before the end of the year. According to the document, opening these products to more than 15,000 financial representatives could significantly increase ETF inflows as advisor participation expands.
By including these details, SMQKE suggested that Vanguard’s reported shift is part of a wider trend in which major financial institutions are gradually increasing access to regulated cryptocurrency investment products.
Vanguard’s Reported Policy Reversal
Another document attached to the post focused on Vanguard’s reported change in approach toward digital assets. It stated that the asset manager, which had previously declined to offer crypto-related investment products, reversed course in a December 2 press release by allowing its approximately 50 million clients to trade spot Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, and Solana ETFs.
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The document described the move as a notable departure from Vanguard’s earlier position after the firm chose not to support spot Bitcoin ETFs when they launched in 2024. It further stated that the policy change opens regulated crypto exposure through an asset manager overseeing roughly $11 trillion in assets.
The attached material also noted that BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust had already reached approximately $70 billion in assets under management, presenting the figure as evidence of growing demand for regulated digital asset investment products.
While SMQKE’s post was brief, the accompanying documents placed Vanguard’s reported strategic shift within the context of broader institutional adoption.
Together with CoinDesk’s report that the firm is recruiting its first Head of Digital Assets, the post pointed to what the researcher views as another indication that some of the world’s largest financial institutions are continuing to expand their involvement in the digital asset market, including investment products tied to XRP.
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