Hargreaves Lansdown begins offering crypto ETNs to retail clients

Hargreaves Lansdown, a major British retail investment platform, has begun offering eligible clients access to Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded notes (ETNs). This move marks a reversal for the firm, which previously stated that Bitcoin was not an asset class and warned investors about its extreme volatility and risk.

The platform has listed nine crypto ETNs from various issuers, including BlackRock’s iShares, WisdomTree, 21Shares, Invesco, CoinShares, and Bitwise. Fees for these products range from zero to 0.35%. Access is limited to investors who meet specific eligibility and risk-assessment requirements.

This development follows the UK Financial Conduct Authority lifting a four-year ban on retail access to qualifying crypto ETNs in October 2025. While the firm continues to classify these products as high-risk, the integration of crypto ETNs into a mainstream wealth-management platform serving over 2 million clients signifies a shift in the institutional landscape.