A forecast has said bank adoption of bitcoin-related services will increase by the biggest amount on record over the next 12 months.

Blockchain outlet U.Today reported on Oct. 14 that Strategy CEO Phong Le (퐁 르) expects banks to accelerate bitcoin adoption, citing inflation, regulatory clarity and customer demand.

Le cited monetary inflation, regulatory clarity, customer demand, technology modernisation, agent-based artificial intelligence, fear of missing out, and survival pressure as key drivers. He said banks are moving beyond discussing the value of cryptocurrencies and are now adopting services.

The spread of AI was also presented as a factor that could spur a shift of funds toward bitcoin. Le forecast AI could reduce the value of traditional stocks that depend on human labour and that investors would seek scarce assets that robots cannot produce more of. He said bitcoin, with its limited supply, could emerge as a major investment target in that process.

The expansion of agent-based AI could also support the use of blockchain, the report said. Because robots cannot open ordinary bank accounts, blockchain networks could become a natural environment for payments by AI agents.

Strategy's bitcoin banking adoption index showed adoption among major global financial institutions stood at 34 percent in the third quarter of 2026. The main revenue sources were crypto custody, spot fund trading and bitcoin-collateralised loans.

Adoption rates were relatively high among U.S. financial institutions. Fidelity ranked highest at 77 percent, followed by JPMorgan Chase at 47 percent, BNY at 46 percent, Goldman Sachs at 45 percent and Morgan Stanley at 45 percent. Britain’s Barclays posted 30 percent, Germany’s Deutsche Bank 27 percent and Japan’s MUFG 18 percent. European and Asian institutions appeared to be taking a cautious approach, focusing on some businesses.

Strategy board chairman Michael Saylor (마이클 세일러) compared bitcoin to "raw-material financial energy" and said companies are converting it into digital credit. The next year is expected to be a period that gauges whether European financial capital narrows its gap with Wall Street in the United States, and whether U.S. institutions keep their lead in bitcoin-related markets.