Institutions Rush to Adopt Crypto at Record Pace
A new study from Bitwise Asset Management reveals that the world's largest institutions are rapidly embracing crypto as an important component of their portfolios.
The study, titled Institutional Crypto Adoption, interviewed senior investment professionals at 15 leading institutions, including endowments, foundations, public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and multi-family offices. The findings suggest adoption is happening faster than the general public realizes, with a majority of institutional investors expected to hold crypto within five years.
The study found that no institution reduced their allocation during a 50% drawdown in crypto markets between Q4 2025 and Q2 2026, and several institutions actually increased their allocations. Bitcoin was identified as the universal institutional conviction asset, with every institution interviewed owning it as their first, largest, and longest-held crypto asset.
The study also found that allocation sizes are currently small, ranging from 0.5% to 13% of investable assets, but are trending upwards. Spot ETFs have become increasingly popular among institutional investors due to lower all-in cost and operational burden.