As global regulators move from outright caution to clearer frameworks for digital assets, traditional financial institutions are stepping decisively into the crypto space.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the Big Four accounting giants, is expanding its cryptocurrency and digital asset services, signaling growing institutional confidence in the sector.
The move reflects a broader shift in regulatory attitudes toward crypto, as firms seek to help clients navigate compliance, risk management, and innovation in an increasingly structured digital-asset ecosystem.
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PwC’s U.S. Senior Partner and CEO, Paul Griggs, stated in a recent interview with the Financial Times that the accounting firm is significantly expanding its cryptocurrency-related services after years of caution. He attributed this shift to improved U.S. regulatory clarity, particularly the passage of the GENIUS Act (a stablecoin framework signed in 2025) and a broader pro-crypto regulatory environment.
He said,
“The GENIUS Act and the regulatory rulemaking around stablecoin I expect will create more conviction around leaning into that product and that asset class. The tokenization of things will certainly continue to evolve. PwC has to be in that ecosystem.”
“PwC feels a responsibility to be hyper-engaged in both auditing and consulting for crypto clients, as we see more and more opportunities coming our way. We are never going to lean into a business that we haven’t equipped ourselves to deliver, noting that over the past 10-12 months, PwC has bolstered its resources (including rehiring digital asset specialist Cheryl Lesnik) to handle increased demand”, Griggs added.
PwC is now actively advising clients on using stablecoins for efficient payments, expanding into tokenization of real-world assets, and providing full services in audit, tax, and advisory for crypto entities. The firm already audits clients like Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings.
The accounting firm plans to grow its crypto audit, compliance, and advisory offerings for exchanges, stablecoin issuers, blockchain startups, and tokenization platforms.
This move aligns with similar expansions by other Big Four firms (KPMG, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young) amid growing institutional interest in digital assets.
KPMG has developed a comprehensive suite of digital?asset and blockchain capabilities that span audit, tax, risk, and advisory services. Its offerings help clients navigate regulatory compliance, risk assessment, controls, cybersecurity, and blockchain strategy across the full crypto lifecycle.
Deloitte has long been active in the blockchain space and offers blockchain strategy, implementation, and consulting services to clients. This includes helping organizations define blockchain goals, build prototypes, and integrate distributed ledger technology into business processes.
Ernst & Young (EY) has been particularly proactive in developing crypto and blockchain software tools for auditing and compliance. Notably, platforms like EY Blockchain Analyzer aggregate transaction data across ledgers to support audits, tax reporting, and transaction monitoring — helping clients meet regulatory and reporting requirements in the digital?asset space.
Before the GENIUS Act, stablecoins and many crypto products existed in regulatory gray areas that made institutions wary of legal risk. By establishing a clear, federal framework for payment stablecoins — including licensing, reserve requirements, and compliance standards — the Act eliminated a major barrier to institutional participation.
With clearer rules, firms can confidently offer stablecoin issuance support, compliance consulting, reserve auditing, treasury strategy, and risk advisory services. Accounting and consulting firms — including the Big Four — are now able to package crypto practices into mainstream service lines without fear of legal backlash or uncertain enforcement.
While the GENIUS Act is a U.S. statute, its emergence has coincided with other regulatory efforts globally (like the EU’s MiCA framework). This convergence toward structured, rules-based crypto regulation gives multinational corporations and service firms a consistent basis to develop cross-border crypto offerings, bolstering confidence to invest in digital-asset teams, products, and partnerships.
In summary, the GENIUS Act’s passage, combined with a broader pro-crypto shift in regulatory environments, has reduced legal ambiguity, aligned digital assets with traditional financial norms, unlocked new product and service opportunities — and ultimately empowered companies to seriously explore and scale crypto-related offerings rather than treat them as speculative side projects.