What is the name of the largest bank in the world by assets?

The largest bank in the world by total assets is the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, commonly called ICBC.

ICBC was established in 1984 when China reorganized the commercial-banking functions of the People's Bank of China. Headquartered in Beijing, it is one of China's state-controlled “Big Four” commercial banks, alongside China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, and Bank of China.

The bank provides traditional deposit and lending services as well as investment banking, asset management, insurance, credit cards, mortgage finance, and international banking. It became the world's largest bank by total assets in 2012, based on year-end balance-sheet figures, and has remained at or near the top in major rankings.

This question uses total assets, not market capitalization, brand value, or profitability. Those measures can produce different leaders: JPMorgan Chase, for example, has often ranked first among banks by market value. ICBC's size is also influenced by China's large banking system and the accounting methods used in international comparisons.