Financial Advisors Embrace Cryptocurrency: 99% Plan to Maintain or Increase Exposure in 2026

Landmark Survey Reveals Unprecedented Adoption of Crypto Assets Among Financial Professionals

In a significant shift for the financial advisory landscape, an overwhelming 99% of financial advisors who allocated client assets to cryptocurrency in 2025 plan to either maintain or increase their exposure in 2026, according to the latest Bitwise/VettaFi benchmark survey. This remarkable commitment comes as the number of advisors incorporating crypto into client portfolios jumped to nearly one-third (32%) in 2025, representing a 10% increase from the previous year and signaling a potential tipping point for cryptocurrency’s integration into mainstream investment strategies.

The eighth annual “Bitwise/VettaFi 2026 Benchmark Survey of Financial Advisor Attitudes Toward Crypto Assets,” released today, offers compelling evidence that financial professionals are not merely experimenting with digital assets but are increasingly confident in their long-term value proposition. The survey documented a substantial increase in allocation sizes, with approximately 64% of client portfolios containing crypto exposure now maintaining allocations greater than 2%—a significant jump from 51% in 2024. This growth trajectory suggests that advisors are moving beyond minimal experimental positions to more meaningful strategic allocations that could significantly impact portfolio performance.

Personal Adoption and Institutional Access Reach Record Levels

Perhaps most tellingly, financial advisors themselves are investing in cryptocurrency at unprecedented rates, with approximately 56% now reporting personal crypto holdings—the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2018. This personal conviction among financial professionals appears to be translating into broader institutional acceptance, as 42% of advisors now report having the capability to purchase crypto assets directly in client accounts. This institutional access represents a dramatic increase from 35% in 2024 and more than doubles the 19% reported in 2023, underscoring the rapid development of infrastructure supporting professional crypto investment.

“Advisors embraced crypto in 2025 like never before as they became trusted guides to millions of clients,” noted Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management. The survey results come after a momentous year for cryptocurrency markets, with Bitcoin reaching a new all-time high of approximately $126,000 and numerous other digital assets experiencing significant rallies. Against this backdrop of market performance, financial advisors—who collectively steward trillions of dollars in wealth—appear increasingly convinced of cryptocurrency’s role in modern portfolio construction.

Hougan further emphasized the growing influence of financial advisors in the cryptocurrency ecosystem, suggesting that “the future of crypto will soon become almost entirely dependent on what financial advisors think of it.” Addressing questions about advisor behavior during market volatility, Hougan observed: “People who have wondered what advisors would do if the crypto market hit a patch of volatility have their answer: They are planning to buy more.” This contrarian perspective highlights a potential fundamental shift in how traditional finance views digital assets—no longer as merely speculative instruments but as strategic portfolio components worth accumulating during price corrections.

Investment Preferences and Client Demand Shape Advisor Strategies

The comprehensive survey also revealed clear preferences among advisors regarding their approach to cryptocurrency investment vehicles. Crypto equity ETFs emerged as the overwhelmingly preferred method of exposure for 2026, suggesting that many advisors continue to favor regulated, familiar investment structures that provide indirect exposure to the crypto ecosystem. Additionally, crypto index funds (preferred by 42% of respondents) outpaced single-token funds in popularity, indicating a preference for diversified approaches to the volatile digital asset space.

Todd Rosenbluth, Head of Research and Editorial at TMX VettaFi, commented on these trends, noting that “the strong demand for crypto-related ETFs in 2025 was easily evident,” while acknowledging that “what happens next is less obvious.” The survey found that advisors are increasingly sourcing their crypto allocations from existing equity positions (43%) or cash reserves (35%), suggesting that digital assets are increasingly viewed as a legitimate asset class worthy of dedicated portfolio allocation rather than merely speculative positions.

Interest in emerging crypto-related technologies also appears strong, with 30% of advisors expressing interest in stablecoins and tokenization applications, followed by digital gold/fiat debasement narratives (22%) and crypto-related artificial intelligence investments (19%). These diverse areas of interest suggest that advisors are developing more nuanced understandings of the cryptocurrency ecosystem beyond simple Bitcoin exposure. Meanwhile, client interest remains robust, with 94% of advisors reporting they received crypto-related questions from clients in 2025—slightly down from 96% in 2024 but still substantially higher than previous years.

The Institutional Shift Continues as Crypto Moves Mainstream

The demographic breakdown of survey respondents offers additional context to these findings, with independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) representing the largest segment of participants (46%), followed by independent broker-dealer representatives (25%), financial planners (16%), wirehouse representatives (7%), institutional investors (3%), and other investment professionals (3%). Notably, the “Other” category of financial professionals reported the highest rate of personal cryptocurrency ownership at 89%, followed by institutional investors at 75%—significantly higher than the overall average and suggesting particularly strong conviction among specialized financial professionals.

“As crypto moves farther into the mainstream, we’re excited to see surging interest and enthusiasm from a demographic that has always played a central role in crypto’s future,” Hougan stated, highlighting the strategic importance of financial advisors in cryptocurrency’s path to broader adoption. The survey results suggest that institutional crypto adoption is accelerating across multiple fronts, from personal advisor holdings to client portfolio allocations and available investment vehicles.

The findings come at a pivotal moment for the cryptocurrency industry, which continues to navigate complex regulatory environments while experiencing increased institutional integration. With allocation sizing within investor portfolios continuing to grow and nearly all advisors with existing crypto exposure planning to maintain or increase positions, the survey points to a future where digital assets may become standard components of professionally managed investment portfolios.

As the Bitwise/VettaFi report concludes, it has become “more important than ever for advisors to be well-equipped to answer crypto-related client questions” as cryptocurrency assets increasingly move into the financial mainstream. The nearly universal commitment among crypto-allocated advisors to maintain or increase exposure in 2026 may prove to be a watershed moment in cryptocurrency’s journey from fringe financial innovation to established asset class—one that appears increasingly determined by the attitudes and actions of professional financial advisors.