PwC shifts from caution to conviction

PwC has announced that the company is finally moving into cryptocurrency after years of keeping the sector at arm’s length. Speaking to the Financial Times, U.S. Senior Partner and CEO Paul Griggs said recent regulatory developments have given the Big Four firm greater confidence to expand its digital asset footprint.

Griggs pointed to the passage of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, alongside a broader pro-crypto turn among U.S. regulators under the Trump administration, as pivotal in reshaping PwC’s approach.

The new framework around stablecoins, he said, is helping create the regulatory certainty large professional services firms need to engage more fully with the asset class.

“The Genius Act and the regulatory rulemaking around stablecoins will create more conviction around leaning into that product and that asset class. Tokenization is expected to continue evolving and PwC has to be in that ecosystem.”

Scaling audit and advisory services for crypto clients

As part of its renewed push, PwC plans to become “hyper-engaged” across both its audit and consulting businesses for crypto-related clients. The firm has been advising companies on how digital assets — particularly stablecoins — could be used to streamline payments and improve operational efficiency, positioning itself as a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain-based systems.

PwC has also strengthened its internal crypto capabilities. The firm recently rehired Cheryl Lesnik as a partner after she spent three years focused on digital asset clients, and Griggs said PwC has expanded its resource pool both internally and externally to support its ambitions in the sector.

The firm already provides audit services to Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings, signaling a growing willingness to work with crypto-native businesses.

Big Four momentum builds

PwC’s move reflects a broader shift among major accounting firms as crypto gains institutional legitimacy. Rival Big Four firms have also stepped up their engagement, citing clearer rules and rising client demand.

KPMG has said crypto adoption reached a tipping point in 2025 and has expanded its compliance and risk management services tied to digital assets. Deloitte, meanwhile, published its first formal digital assets roadmap last year, outlining how tokenized instruments should be treated within accounting and reporting frameworks.

Together, these developments suggest crypto is increasingly being absorbed into the mainstream financial infrastructure. For firms like PwC, the change is less about speculative enthusiasm and more about regulatory clarity finally aligning with client demand — creating the conditions for digital assets to be treated as a durable, long-term business line rather than a peripheral experiment.