BNY CEO: Big Banks Will Be the Bridge Powering Crypto’s Next Wave

• BNY CEO Robin Vince told the Digital Asset Summit in New York that major financial institutions will drive the next stage of crypto adoption by bridging traditional and digital finance.
• Vince identified tokenisation of loans and real estate as near-term catalysts, noting BNY launched tokenised deposits in January 2026 with ICE, Citadel Securities, and Circle among early adopters.
• He warned that without regulatory clarity, 90% of the financial services community will refuse to participate, describing adoption as a “5, 10, 15 year journey.”

BNY Mellon chief executive Robin Vince said the next phase of crypto adoption will come through large financial institutions, not retail speculation, as the bank pushes deeper into tokenised finance.

Speaking at the Digital Asset Summit in New York on March 24, Vince said BNY’s role is to connect traditional markets with digital infrastructure. 

The bank oversees US$52.1 trillion (AU$79.7 trillion) in assets under custody and is positioning tokenisation as a practical way to modernise financial products that still move slowly, especially loans and real estate.

That strategy is already underway. In January, BNY launched tokenised deposits on its permissioned blockchain for collateral and margin payments.