Crypto news: survey finds institutional investors planning to boost allocations

A January 2026 survey by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon of 351 institutional decision-makers reveals that 73% plan to increase their digital asset allocations this year, reflecting continued broad confidence in crypto despite market volatility. However, nearly half of respondents are now emphasizing risk management, liquidity, and position sizing more heavily, indicating a maturing market where institutions are building permanent operating models focused on governance and compliance.

Institutions overwhelmingly prefer accessing the market through regulated vehicles, with 66% using spot crypto ETFs. Regulatory clarity is a major driver for increasing holdings (65%) but also a primary concern (66%), highlighting a tension that clearer rules could resolve. Furthermore, interest is growing in stablecoins for practical uses like settlement and internal cash management, and 63% are very interested in tokenized assets, expecting them to impact trading within three to five years.

Custody selection criteria have shifted dramatically, with regulatory compliance and security/key-signing protocols becoming top priorities, surpassing cost. This signals that while institutional appetite for crypto remains strong, the next phase of adoption hinges on the industry providing the robust operational controls and guardrails large investors now demand.

(Source：CoinDesk)