Emirates NBD is weighing a small Bitcoin allocation, calling it digital gold and a potential long term store of value.
Quick Summary – TLDR:
- Emirates NBD says it is exploring whether Bitcoin should be part of its investment portfolios, likely in a limited allocation.
- The bank’s internal modeling suggests Bitcoin’s fair value could approach $100,000 within 12 months, though the model is still being refined.
- Executives cited Bitcoin’s limited supply, proof of work security, and low inflation characteristics, while flagging volatility and risk market correlation.
- The bank also says tokenization could be the biggest shift coming to global finance, alongside rising stablecoin activity in the region.
What Happened?
Emirates NBD, one of the largest banks in the UAE, says it is considering adding Bitcoin exposure to its investment approach, describing it as a store of value similar to digital gold. The comments came from the bank’s Group Chief Investment Officer Maurice Gravier in an interview with CNBC, alongside additional detail cited by Odaily on how the bank is assessing valuation and risk.
🚨 JUST IN: 🇦🇪 Emirates NBD a $16 BILLION banking giant says live on CNBC that it will buy Bitcoin soon!!!
— Bitcoin professor (@Bitcoinprof0637) February 24, 2026
“WE ARE CONSIDERING A 1% ALLOCATION”
Is the middle east about to begin SERIOUS Bitcoin allocation?!
Countries recognize Bitcoin (BTC). They are buying it. pic.twitter.com/WuUjhNX0AL
Why Emirates NBD Is Looking at Bitcoin Now?
Emirates NBD’s leadership is not pitching Bitcoin as a new payment system or an alternative currency. Instead, the bank is framing Bitcoin as something closer to an investment hedge concept, the modern version of gold for a digital world.
Gravier pointed out that valuation remains a challenge because Bitcoin’s market swings can be hard to model with traditional frameworks. Still, he acknowledged that Bitcoin has evolved over time from being treated mainly as an alternative currency into something many investors now treat as a store of value.
One key reason the bank is even entertaining the idea is the belief that Bitcoin’s structure makes it unique. Executives highlighted its proof of work design, its capped supply, and what they describe as low inflation characteristics compared with assets that can expand in supply more easily.
A Small Allocation, Not a Big Bet
This is not a move toward all in crypto portfolios. Emirates NBD has signaled a cautious approach, focused on a small slice of portfolio exposure if it proceeds.
Gravier said the bank has not yet bought Bitcoin, but it has already opened its internal investment process to accommodate it. That means the work is underway on the important stuff, including valuation models, macro factors, and behavioral dynamics, before taking any position.
If Bitcoin does make it into the bank’s portfolios, the initial allocation discussed was around 0.5% to 1% in balanced portfolios. The idea is to keep exposure limited while still letting diversified portfolios benefit if Bitcoin performs well.
The bank also noted that Bitcoin tends to move with broader market risk appetite at times, and that correlation, along with extreme volatility, needs careful adjustment before any capital is allocated.
Why the Bank Thinks $100,000 Is Possible?
One of the most attention grabbing points is the bank’s internal fair value work. According to Odaily, an executive said the bank’s model suggests Bitcoin’s reasonable value could approach $100,000 within the next 12 months.
The bank also noted that Bitcoin’s current valuation looks more attractive than it did six months ago, when it was viewed as too expensive. Still, the bank is clear that its internal model is not final and is still being refined.
That matters because even bullish projections from big institutions are usually paired with a disclaimer: crypto markets can move fast, and models can break when volatility spikes.
Bitcoin Only, Not a Broader Crypto Basket
Another detail worth noting is Emirates NBD’s stated focus on Bitcoin rather than a wide range of crypto assets.
The bank reportedly sees Bitcoin’s single purpose as a monetary instrument as a strength. In its view, that makes Bitcoin less vulnerable to disruption than smart contract platforms such as Ethereum, which can face technology shifts and competition across multiple use cases.
Tokenization Is the Bigger Story, Says the Bank
While Bitcoin grabbed the headlines, Emirates NBD also pointed to tokenization as the largest shift coming to global finance.
The bank’s executive said tokenized assets could bring price transparency, more peer to peer trading, and lower costs by reducing middleman expenses. The bank expects tokenization to expand into private markets and traditional securities, potentially improving pricing discovery and adding liquidity to assets that have historically been difficult to trade.
The comments land at a time when crypto rails are becoming more visible in the region. One claim circulating in the coverage is that stablecoin transaction volumes in the Middle East now exceed Visa and Mastercard combined, highlighting how quickly blockchain based value transfer is growing.
SQ Magazine’s Takeaway
I like that Emirates NBD is not treating Bitcoin like a lottery ticket. A 0.5% to 1% allocation is a grown up way to approach something this volatile. The interesting part is not the hype around $100,000, it is the fact that big banks in the region are now building processes to evaluate Bitcoin like any other asset class. For me, the real long term shift is tokenization, because once traditional assets start moving on chain, finance starts to look very different, and a lot more efficient, than what we are used to.
