60% wealth managers plan crypto allocations

TLDR

A fresh Bitwise survey finds about 60% of surveyed wealth managers plan to add crypto exposure within the next year, but most still have no allocation today.

1. A Bitwise survey of 400 wealth managers reports 60% intend to allocate to crypto and 60% expect higher prices by year end, while 67% still hold no crypto.
2. Separate adviser and institutional research shows crypto allocations already rising, mostly through regulated products like spot ETFs, with many respondents citing improving regulatory clarity as the main driver.
3. The headline points to a likely demand tailwind for large, liquid assets such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), but the impact depends on whether stated plans turn into actual flows.

Deep Dive

1. What The 60% Figure Really Says

The 60% number comes from a Bitwise survey of roughly 400 wealth managers, presented in early September and summarized in a community writeup. It measures intentions among that audience, not the entire global wealth management industry.

In the same presentation, 60% of respondents said they expect crypto prices to be higher by year end, yet 67% currently have no crypto exposure at all. That gap between expectations and existing positions means the headline is about potential new demand, not an already crowded trade.

The survey also covered how these managers think about major assets and platforms, with discussion spanning Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, stablecoins, tokenization, and regulation. It frames crypto as a portfolio tool for clients rather than a niche speculation.

2. Evidence Of A Broader Institutional Shift

Additional adviser research cited in the same piece shows crypto allocations in client accounts rising from 22% in 2024 to 32% in 2025, based on nearly 300 responses. At the same time, the share of advisers who can directly buy crypto for clients climbed from 35% to 42%, highlighting improving but still uneven access.

A separate survey of 351 institutional investors found 73% plan to increase crypto allocations in 2026 and 74% expect prices to rise over the next 12 months. Around 66% already hold spot crypto ETFs or exchange traded products, 81% prefer registered vehicles, and 65% cited better regulatory clarity as the main reason to add exposure.

Taken together, these data points show a gradual institutional migration into crypto, with regulated wrappers like ETFs, ETPs and tokenized instruments acting as the preferred route rather than direct on chain exposure.

3. Why This Matters For Crypto Users

If even a fraction of these plans materialize, the incremental demand is likely to concentrate in the largest, most liquid names and in regulated products built around them. That tends to favor assets like BTC and ETH, major stablecoins, and higher quality infrastructure plays.

However, intentions do not guarantee execution. Access constraints, risk committees and evolving regulation can slow or reshape how wealth managers actually allocate. The survey explicitly notes its findings reflect the polled audience, not the whole industry.

Conclusion

The 60% figure signals that a growing share of wealth managers are actively planning how to incorporate crypto into client portfolios, but most are still on the sidelines. As access improves and regulation stabilizes, these plans could translate into sustained institutional flows, especially into large cap, regulated exposures, providing a structural tailwind rather than a one off spike.