Crypto ETFs Now as Hot as Bonds: 45% of Investors Ready to Buy, Says New Report

Wall Street's latest obsession? Crypto ETFs—and they're drawing neck-and-neck with bonds for investor attention.

Nearly half of surveyed investors are eyeing crypto ETF exposure, matching traditional fixed-income appetite.

Forget 'alternative' assets—digital securities just became mainstream portfolio contenders. (Take that, gold bugs.)

The report drops as institutional players quietly accumulate—while retail traders still argue about memecoins on X.

One hedge fund manager quipped: 'We'll trade your ETF... after we finish front-running it.'

A new survey from Charles Schwab is getting a lot of attention from both crypto and the finance space.

The latest findings reveals that the interest in crypto ETFs is growing quickly, and is now on par with traditional options like bonds. This is a clear sign that crypto is gaining wider acceptance and the gap between crypto and trad-fi is slowly fading. 

Crypto ETF Interest Matches Bond Market 

According to a report from Charles Schwab, nearly half of ETF investors, around 45%, say that they plan to buy a crypto ETF in the future. This puts crypto alongside bonds as one of the top places people are looking to invest.

Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas notes that this was an interesting development given that crypto currently accounts for only about 1% of total ETF assets under management while bonds are far ahead at 17%. 

This was also shocking to see crypto tied with bonds for second place in where people plan to invest. Majorly punching above weight given crypto is 1% of total ETF aum while bonds are 17%. EM better than their assets too vs dev int'l and alts uninspiring to people still. pic.twitter.com/TnV20nIxnN

Investor preferences vary across asset classes. In the case of crypto ETFs, 34% prefer index-style exposure, while 30% prefer active management. 

The interest in spot crypto ETFs is also strong, with 34% of ETF investors planning to invest in them over the next year. This shows that the appetite for direct crypto exposure continues to grow.

Millennials are driving the surge in crypto ETF adoption. About 57% of them plan to invest in crypto through ETFs, compared to 41% of Gen X investors and just 15% of “Baby Boomers”.

U.S. Equities Continue to Dominate

While crypto ETFs are gaining momentum, U.S. equities remain the top choice for investors, with 52% planning to increase their exposure through ETFs. Emerging markets and real assets also attract interest at around 40%, while international developed markets and alternatives sit below 30%.

The low costs and easy access were the main reasons investors choose ETFs, with 94% saying ETFs help reduce portfolio expenses. Half of them also believe that ETF allows them to explore niche strategies and gain exposure to different asset classes that are not typically available.

ETF Adoption Is Spreading Fast

The study included 2,000 participants, with half of them being ETF investors. Even the Non-ETF investors showed strong interest in ETFs.

Balchunas notes that the whole survey was “super optimistic” overall and nearly everyone plans to increase their usage.

Crypto ETFs Beat Expectations

The crypto ETFs have far exceeded expectations. Since their launch in January 2024, spot Bitcoin ETFs crossed $100 billion in assets within a year, which took gold ETFs eight years. BlackRock’s IBIT led the way, hitting $50 billion in its first year, making it one of the most successful ETF launches ever. The spot Bitcoin ETFs have surpassed $150 billion in assets by Q3 2025.

Ethereum ETFs have been slower to take off but are gaining momentum, while altcoin ETFs are gradually establishing their place in the market as well.