In an unprecedented move for traditional US banking, PNC Bank has enabled direct cryptocurrency trading for its private banking clients, significantly improving the Bitcoin price prediction in the medium term. Coinbase Institutional, acting as the official technology partner, confirmed that its platform is powering this pioneering service, allowing the financial entity to become the first major US bank to offer native exposure to the digital asset.
This new service allows eligible clients to buy, hold, and sell Bitcoin directly through their bank, eliminating the need to rely on external cryptocurrency exchanges or complex wallets. The initiative comes after a crucial clarification from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which recently confirmed that national banks may conduct crypto asset transactions as riskless principals. Thus, institutions can act as secure intermediaries, simultaneously buying and selling for their clients without maintaining volatile inventories.
US banks break down barriers for institutional access
The PNC launch is not an isolated event but part of a growing trend where major financial institutions seek to integrate digital assets into their wealth management offerings. Recently, Bank of America authorized its 15,000 advisors to recommend crypto allocations of between 1% and 4% for client portfolios, signaling a radical shift in the perception of risk and legitimacy of the asset within traditional financial companies.
On the other hand, other renowned banking entities are advancing their own roadmaps to offer similar services in the near future. Citibank has announced concrete plans to launch crypto custody services in 2026, following years of internal infrastructure development. Likewise, BNY Mellon is advancing toward offering custody for Bitcoin and Ethereum, suggesting that the competition to capture institutional crypto capital is just beginning on Wall Street.
Could this domino effect drive Bitcoin toward $130,000?
From a technical analysis perspective, PNC’s entry could provide the necessary momentum for the price to establish stronger support levels in the coming months. If other financial institutions replicate this direct custody model, analysts suggest BTC could position itself for an aggressive push toward the $100,000 to $130,000 range heading into 2026. Currently, the asset is attempting to escape a multi-week descending channel after successfully defending critical support near $83,000.
The recent bounce has pushed the price above the 9-day simple moving average, demonstrating significant early momentum, although it remains near the channel’s upper boundary. Furthermore, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) has climbed out of oversold territory and is approaching mid-levels, indicating a recovery of bullish momentum following a prolonged downtrend. If Bitcoin manages to close decisively above this channel and maintains support above $90,000, bullish continuation seems likely.
In this optimistic scenario, charts suggest the asset could target key resistance clusters located at $105,000, $110,000, and potentially $120,000 in the short term. However, if this breakout zone cannot be sustained, there is a risk of a retest of the $83,000 support. In conclusion, direct banking integration acts as a fundamental catalyst that could validate the most aggressive bullish theses for the next market cycle.
