Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the largest investment platforms in the UK retail, has warned that Bitcoin should not be treated as a major part of investment portfolios – even preparing to offer crypto products to clients for the first time.
In a statement Published on its website, the Bristol-based firm said Bitcoin, despite long-term price acquisitions, “is not a type of property” and lacks intrinsic properties that will justify it with a portfolio for growth or income.
Hargreaves Lansdown argues that cryptocurrency price history shows periods of “intense losses,” adding that performance assumptions are impossible to study and that the owner “should not expect” to help clients meet financial goals.
The company’s statements arrived shortly after the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) completed its nearly four -year ban on records exchanged by Crypto Exchange (ETN) for investors.
Hargreaves Lansdown said it plans to take several months to develop the so -called “balanced client’s journey,” ensuring customers to receive detailed danger warnings and pass a suitable assessment before being allowed to invest. Clients qualified will usually face a 10% portfolio cap on crypto exposure under FCA policies.
The firm is also highlighting new regulation conditions for the UK market.
The FCA will only allow Crypto ETNs physically supported by Bitcoin or Ether – that means they are supported by reserves of underlying possessions – and listed in a recognized investment exchange (RIE) such as the London Stock Exchange. These restrictions are intended to bring crypto products under the same disclosure, transparency, and investor protection standards that apply to traditional security.
While the integration of Bitcoin into conventional portfolios remains a step too far for the Hargreaves Lansdown, it acknowledged that some clients still want speculation -aware exposure.
The firm said it was expected to launch access to crypto ETNs in early 2026, with offerings that were likely to include pound-denominated, physical products backed from those who provided 21shares, coinshares and WisDometree.
