PwC Goes All-In on Crypto: Big Four Giant Doubles Down After Regulatory Ice Age Ends

Forget dipping a toe—PwC just cannonballed into the crypto pool.

The regulatory permafrost is finally cracking. After years of watching from the sidelines, one of the world's largest accounting networks is making its move. This isn't about a few client advisories; it's a full-scale strategic pivot. PwC is building dedicated teams, launching new audit frameworks, and telling its global network to get ready. The message is clear: digital assets are now a core part of the financial landscape.

Why the sudden urgency? The rules of the game are finally being written. Governments and watchdogs worldwide have shifted from outright hostility to cautious framework-building. That clarity—however imperfect—gives firms like PwC the green light they've been waiting for. They can now build services with less fear of regulatory whiplash.

This move sends a shockwave through traditional finance. When a firm that audits nearly a third of the Fortune 500 says 'this is real,' institutional money listens. It validates the entire asset class for CFOs and boardrooms still on the fence. Expect a flood of corporate treasury strategies to include 'digital asset' as a new line item.

The cynical take? It's about the fees, stupid. Audit, tax, and advisory services for blockchain-based assets represent a multi-billion dollar greenfield. PwC isn't just embracing innovation—it's securing its slice of the next generation's wealth. After all, someone has to charge $1,000 an hour to explain a smart contract to a baffled CEO.

The thaw is over. The land grab has begun.

Stablecoin Law And SEC Direction Pull Crypto Closer To Wall Street

President Donald TRUMP signed the GENIUS Act into law in July 2025, setting a federal framework for regulating payment stablecoins and opening the door for banks to issue their own tokens.

“The Genius Act and the regulatory rulemaking around stablecoin I expect will create more conviction around leaning into that product and that asset class,” Griggs said. “The tokenization of things will certainly continue to evolve as well. PwC has to be in that ecosystem.”

Regulation is also shifting at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Chair Paul Atkins has said he wants clearer, more predictable rules for crypto markets, and Reuters reported the agency is working on new approaches for how tokens are issued, held and traded.

PwC sits at the centre of that demand because it is one of the world’s largest professional services networks, best known for auditing public companies and advising executives on tax, deals, controls and risk.

Regulatory Comfort Spurs Demand For Audits And Token Expertise

As crypto products move into regulated finance, clients need auditors who can test reserves, governance and disclosure, and consultants who can map how tokenized cash and tokenized assets FLOW through real-world systems.

Until recently, the Big Four kept higher hurdles for many crypto clients in the US, in part because regulators signalled skepticism and the sector carried reputational risk after repeated blowups.

Watchdogs have also long flagged consumer protection concerns and the use of digital assets in fraud and money laundering.

With the US policy mood turning friendlier, Griggs said PwC has been pitching crypto tech as a practical upgrade for payments, with stablecoins framed as a way to make transfers faster and cheaper in certain corridors.

PwC Builds Crypto Bench Strength To Support New Clients

PwC is also taking on audit work in the sector. Mara Holdings, a publicly traded Bitcoin miner, appointed PwC as its auditor for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2025, according to a company filing.

Griggs said PwC also had to build capability before taking on more work, including senior hires such as Cheryl Lesnik.

“We are never going to lean into a business that we haven’t equipped ourselves to deliver,” he told the FT. “Over the last 10 to 12 months, as we’ve taken on more opportunities in that digital assets arena, we’ve bolstered our resource pool inside and outside.”

The push is not happening in isolation. Deloitte has audited Coinbase since 2020, and KPMG has also been marketing digital asset compliance and risk services, as the Big Four position for a market where tokenization and regulated stablecoins pull traditional finance closer to crypto rails.