60% of Wealth Managers Say They Plan to Put Money Into Crypto Within a Year

Sixty percent of approximately 400 wealth managers attending a Bitwise presentation stated plans to allocate to cryptocurrency within one year, according to data shared by Bitwise Head of Research Ryan Rasmussen and CIO Matt Hougan. The more significant finding is the starting point: 67% of respondents currently maintain zero cryptocurrency allocation. This gap between stated intention and current exposure suggests a potentially substantial migration from non-participation to active investment, though the sample reflects selection bias inherent in a Bitwise-sponsored audience.

Broader industry data corroborate movement toward crypto adoption, though at a measured pace. Bitwise and VettaFi's 2026 benchmark survey found that 32% of wealth management respondents allocated to crypto in client accounts during 2025, an increase from 22% the previous year. Critically, the ability to purchase crypto in client accounts rose to 42% from 35%, indicating that infrastructure and compliance constraints—rather than advisor or client interest—remain the primary friction point. Exchange-traded products have substantially narrowed this gap by embedding crypto exposure within traditional brokerage, custody, and compliance frameworks familiar to institutional actors.

Institutional capital is following the same trajectory. A 2026 survey conducted by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon of 351 institutional investors found that 73% planned to increase digital-asset allocations in 2026, while 66% already held exposure through spot crypto ETFs or other exchange-traded products. Eighty-one percent of institutional respondents expressed a preference for accessing spot crypto through registered vehicles, highlighting how product innovation has become central to mainstream adoption.

Demand pressure is evident across demographics. U.S. adult cryptocurrency ownership has reached 40% in 2026, up from 30% previously. Younger investors demonstrate substantially higher participation, with some reports indicating 7.5x greater likelihood of holding crypto among younger cohorts compared to older wealth holders. This generational divergence is creating operational pressure on wealth management firms to develop crypto capabilities or risk losing client assets to advisors with established digital-asset services.

The constraint has shifted from demand to infrastructure. Among UK wealth clients, 42% intended to invest in crypto outside normal wealth management arrangements, indicating that gatekeeping by traditional advisors drives retail investors toward alternative channels. As custody, regulatory approval, and product standardization continue to improve, the 60% intention rate among wealth managers suggests material capital reallocation could accelerate in 2026 and beyond.