Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's largest banking group, significantly increased its exposure to the cryptocurrency sector in the first quarter of 2026. The bank's crypto-related assets surged from approximately $100 million in Q4 2025 to about $235 million. As of March 31, the bank expanded its Bitcoin holdings and made its first Ethereum purchase through the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust. Additionally, Intesa Sanpaolo established a new position in Ripple by acquiring 712,319 shares in the Grayscale XRP Trust, valued at around $18 million, while significantly reducing its exposure to Solana via the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF.