Skip to main content
Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

From cryptocurrency to cash: Ways to bank your digital coin

FILE - This May 12, 2021, file photo shows an advertisement for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin displayed on a tram in Hong Kong. Cryptocurrencies have surged to nearly $2.5 trillion in total value, rivaling the size of G7 economies like Canada's and Italy's, with more than 200 million users. At that size, it's simply too large for the financial establishment to ignore. Firms that cater to the world's wealthiest families are increasingly putting some of their fortunes into crypto. Hedge funds are trading Bitcoin, which has big-name banks starting to offer them services around it. And in the latest milestone for the industry, an easy-to-trade fund tied to Bitcoin began trading on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - This May 12, 2021, file photo shows an advertisement for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin displayed on a tram in Hong Kong. Cryptocurrencies have surged to nearly $2.5 trillion in total value, rivaling the size of G7 economies like Canada's and Italy's, with more than 200 million users. At that size, it's simply too large for the financial establishment to ignore. Firms that cater to the world's wealthiest families are increasingly putting some of their fortunes into crypto. Hedge funds are trading Bitcoin, which has big-name banks starting to offer them services around it. And in the latest milestone for the industry, an easy-to-trade fund tied to Bitcoin began trading on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) FILE - This May 12, 2021, file photo shows an advertisement for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin displayed on a tram in Hong Kong. Cryptocurrencies have surged to nearly $2.5 trillion in total value, rivaling the size of G7 economies like Canada's and Italy's, with more than 200 million users. At that size, it's simply too large for the financial establishment to ignore. Firms that cater to the world's wealthiest families are increasingly putting some of their fortunes into crypto. Hedge funds are trading Bitcoin, which has big-name banks starting to offer them services around it. And in the latest milestone for the industry, an easy-to-trade fund tied to Bitcoin began trading on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Cryptocurrency, the blockchain-based digital currency that has captured the interest of investors and financial service firms alike, has a challenging problem. It can be hard to actually spend this currency like you would regular money. But there are new services on the horizon that could help people use bitcoin and other digital coins in more mainstream ways for their day-to-day finances.

Here’s a look at how to use these banking-style services for cryptocurrency, as well as their benefits and barriers.

WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY BANKING?

The term cryptocurrency banking could be considered a misnomer, since the exchange companies and firms that offer these services aren’t technically banks, but it generally refers to the ways in which consumers can manage their cryptocurrency balances. At this stage, this kind of banking mostly just allows people to hold their funds in a digital wallet or spend it like they would spend traditional money.

BENEFITS OF CRYPTOCURRENCY BANKING