Financial Advisers Double Down on Crypto: 99% Plan Steady or Higher Allocations
Financial advisers aren't just dipping a toe in the crypto pool—they're diving in headfirst. A staggering majority are locking in their positions or preparing to go bigger.
The Confidence Game
Forget the cautious whispers of years past. The new advisory playbook reads like a bullish manifesto. Nearly every single professional surveyed—a full ninety-nine percent—signals either holding firm or ramping up their digital asset exposure. This isn't fringe speculation anymore; it's becoming core portfolio strategy.
From Skepticism to Standard Practice
The shift is tectonic. What was once a niche, high-risk bet is now getting penciled into long-term financial plans. Advisers are building frameworks, not just making trades. They're navigating volatility with structured allocations, treating crypto less like a lottery ticket and more like a new asset class—albeit one that never sleeps and occasionally throws a tantrum.
The Institutional Tidal Wave
This move by advisers often precedes a wider wave of institutional capital. When the gatekeepers of traditional wealth start allocating, the pipes get built: custody solutions, compliance rails, and reporting tools follow. It's the boring infrastructure that makes the wild west investable for the masses—or at least for their retirement accounts.
The message is clear: the smart money is no longer waiting on the sidelines. They're methodically moving in, regulatory hurdles and all. Of course, in finance, a ninety-nine percent consensus usually means someone's about to be very wrong, or very rich—often both.
Hougan claims financial advisors’ crypto adoption surged in 2025
99% of financial advisor who allocated to crypto in 2025 plan to increase or maintain their exposure in 2026. @EricBalchunas @JSeyff
(Data from the just-published 8th annual Bitwise/VettaFi Benchmark Survey of Financial Advisor Attitudes Towards Crypto Assets.) pic.twitter.com/ICANsniQ2Z
— Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) January 13, 2026
Matt Hougan, the Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, said that advisors embraced crypto in 2025 like never before as they became trusted guides to millions of clients. The Bitwise/VettaFi report also stated that 2025 was momentous for crypto, with bitcoin hitting a new ATH (~$126K) and many other cryptos rallying as well. Financial Advisors were responsible for stewarding trillions of dollars in wealth last year.
Meanwhile, Hougan believes the future of crypto will soon become almost entirely dependent on what financial advisors think of it. He noted that 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.
“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.”
–Matt Hougan, the Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management
Todd Rosenbluth, the head of research and editorial at TMX VettaFi, also observed that the strong demand for crypto-related ETFs in 2025 was easily evident, adding that what happens next is less obvious. Advisors are sharing about how they and their clients are increasingly allocating to crypto, according to Rosenbluth.
Advisors overwhelmingly prefer crypto equity ETFs
The Bitwise/VettaFi report found that advisors overwhelmingly prefer crypto equity ETFs. showing they are most interested in allocating to crypto equity ETFs in 2026. Advisors also prefer crypto index funds (42%) to single-token funds.
Meanwhile, advisors are increasingly sourcing their crypto allocations from equities (43%) or cash (35%). Stablecoins and tokenization have also piqued the interest of advisors (30%), followed by digital gold/fiat debasement (22%), and crypto-related AI investments (19%).
On the other hand, independent registered investment advisors (IRAs) represented the largest number of respondents (46%), followed by independent broker-dealer representatives (25%), financial planners (16%), wirehouse representatives (7%), institutional investors (3%), and other investment professionals (3%). Meanwhile, “Other” financial professionals were the most likely to own crypto in their personal portfolios at 89%, followed by institutional investors (75%), RIAs (50%), financial planners (45%), and independent broker-dealers (41%).
Crypto also remained at the top of investors’ minds in 2025, with 94% of advisors reporting that they received crypto-related questions from their clients last year. That percentage was slightly lower than 2024’s 96%, but an increase from 88% in 2023 and 90% in 2022.
Meanwhile, the report noted that it has become more important than ever for advisors to be well-equipped to answer crypto-related client questions. Overall, the survey results also indicate that institutional crypto adoption is on the rise, and allocation sizing within investor portfolios has continued to grow as crypto assets MOVE into the mainstream.
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