Further moving towards the mainstream, US financial institution customers can now buy, sell and hold Bitcoin through bank accounts

Americans now have a new way to invest in Bitcoin.

Bitcoin technology and financial services company NYDIG announced on Wednesday that through a partnership with Fortune 500 company and payment and financial services technology solutions provider Fiserv, financial institutions of all sizes in the United States can now enable consumers to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin through their bank accounts, pushing Bitcoin further into the mainstream.

This will enable banks and credit unions to meet the growing mainstream interest in Bitcoin, retain and grow their customer base, and increase non-interest income opportunities for financial institutions.

As an extension of Fiserv’s commitment to open banking technology, the integration with NYDIG will allow consumers to manage Bitcoin transactions directly within their financial institution’s online and mobile banking portals, providing users with an easy way to buy, sell and hold the popular digital asset through a trusted financial institution.

California-based First Foundation Bank has taken the lead in bringing these capabilities to market, working with Fiserv and NYDIG.

“Interest in cryptocurrencies, and Bitcoin in particular, has skyrocketed over the past few years to the point where Bitcoin investing is now a very common activity,” said Byron Vielehr, Chief Digital and Data Officer at Fiserv. “People continue to look to their financial institutions as a central place to manage their financial activities, and being able to offer this functionality helps put banks and credit unions at the forefront of their customers’ financial lives.”

In addition to enabling banks to allow their consumer customers to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin in their bank accounts, Fiserv and NYDIG are also working on implementing other features, including helping banks implement Bitcoin rewards programs.

NYDIG CEO Robert Gutmann said the partnership represents an introduction to Bitcoin for financial institutions of “all sizes”: “Our collaboration with Fiserv represents a leap forward in offering integrated Bitcoin trading to institutions of all sizes, enabling them to meet the growing demands and interest of their clients.”

Bitpush previously reported that in early May, NYDIG established a partnership with payment solutions provider Fidelity National Information Services (FIS). Hundreds of US banks will allow their retail customers to hold and trade Bitcoin in 2021. This move will make it easier for ordinary Americans and companies to enter the crypto world.