A private Brazilian bank is advising clients to invest 3% in Bitcoin.

 

Itaú Unibanco Holding SA, Latin America's largest privately held bank, has advised clients to allocate up to 3% of their portfolios to Bitcoin for 2026.

The bank views cryptocurrency not as a speculative asset, but as a hedge against the depreciation of the Brazilian real.

In a strategic memo, analysts at the São Paulo-based bank stated that investors face a dual challenge from global price uncertainty and domestic currency volatility. They argued that this situation requires a new approach to portfolio construction.

The bank recommends a Bitcoin weighting of 1% to 3% in portfolios to achieve returns independent of the domestic economic cycle.

Itaú emphasized that Bitcoin should not become a core asset in portfolios, but rather a supplementary allocation tailored to each investor's risk tolerance.

The goal is to generate returns independent of the domestic economic cycle, partially hedge against currency depreciation, and maintain the potential for long-term appreciation.

The bank pointed out the relatively low correlation between Bitcoin and traditional asset classes and argued that a 1% to 3% allocation can increase diversification without significantly increasing the overall portfolio risk.