Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, has introduced a new analytical tool — the Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index. This index is designed to clearly demonstrate how deeply traditional banks are integrating solutions based on the first cryptocurrency. The current engagement level of institutional players stands at 32%, which, in my view, reflects not so much sluggishness as a cautious but steady process of adaptation.

The sample includes the 25 largest global financial institutions. Fidelity Corporation took the top spot with a score of 71%. European and Japanese organizations are currently showing weak momentum, not even reaching 30%. Fidelity's leadership is a natural outcome of a long-term strategy: back in 2018, the holding launched the Fidelity Digital Assets division, and now its lineup includes its own successful spot BTC-ETF.

How the Bitcoin Banking Adoption Index works

The index operates as a scoring system for banks. Strategy analyzes how deeply each company has integrated Bitcoin solutions, then calculates an overall percentage. Essentially, the tool reflects how close conventional banks have come to BTC.

The assessment is conducted across four key areas:

  • Trading and custody services.
  • Products — such as spot Bitcoin ETFs and the stablecoin segment.
  • Lending.
  • Support at the top management level.

The 32% figure means the banking sector has only tapped into a third of the potential embedded in the formula. Final scores are unevenly distributed: a bank may successfully develop asset storage but completely ignore lending. For example, following the leader are Citigroup (43%), BNY (46%), Goldman Sachs (45%), JPMorgan (43%), and Morgan Stanley (43%). European banks, such as Banco Santander and Société Générale, sit in the middle of the list with around 35%, while Japan's SMBC and Canada's Royal Bank of Canada round out the ranking with just 13%.

The data for the report was taken exclusively from open sources, current as of July 10. The developers openly invite market participants to submit their corrections to refine the database and plan to regularly update the results. Publishing such an index is not just a PR move. As a leading analyst, I see this as a direct signal to the market: Strategy, which holds 843,775 BTC and is the largest corporate holder of the cryptocurrency, is interested in popularizing Bitcoin among banks. This benefits its business. Wall Street's reaction to the obtained scores will reveal the real authority of this ranking in the financial world.

My expert opinion: The Strategy index is not just statistics, but a clear marker for investors. While banks are only tapping into a third of the opportunities, we are at an early stage of institutional adoption. Fidelity is setting the trend, but the bulk of capital has yet to enter the game. Once regulatory barriers ease and BTC-backed lending becomes the norm, the current 32% will soar to 70-80% within two to three years.