PNC Financial Services Group, the seventh-largest U.S. lender with roughly $557 billion in assets, has struck a strategic partnership with Coinbase Global Inc. to give its 12 million retail and institutional customers direct access to cryptocurrency trading and custody. The move positions PNC among the most prominent traditional banks to integrate digital-asset services into mainstream banking channels. Coinbase will provide the trading, custody and settlement infrastructure through its new Crypto-as-a-Service platform, while PNC will offer selected banking services such as settlement to the exchange. The companies said the first products—covering Bitcoin and other tokens—will launch in the coming months. “Partnering with Coinbase accelerates our ability to bring innovative, crypto financial solutions to our clients,” PNC Chief Executive Officer William Demchak said. Brett Tejpaul, Coinbase’s head of institutional sales, added that the exchange is “thrilled to support [PNC’s] entry into the digital-asset market.” The tie-up underscores the accelerating convergence of traditional finance and the $4 trillion digital-asset sector, which earlier this month pushed Bitcoin to a record above $122,000. A more accommodating regulatory stance toward banks handling crypto under the Trump administration has encouraged lenders to move into the space as demand for secure access to digital assets grows.