Insights
The 2026 Digital Assets Study:
Trust and security take center stage
As digital assets enter the institutional mainstream, the conversation is shifting from why to invest to how to implement, scale, and operate with confidence.
October 2026
Angus Fletcher
Head of Digital Asset Solutions
Digital assets are moving beyond experimentation. More than half (51 percent) of institutional investors now expect digital assets to become mainstream within five years, underscoring the growing momentum behind adoption. At the same time, firms are increasingly focused on the foundations that are needed to support long-term growth, including trust, security, regulatory clarity, and operational resilience.
Our fifth annual Digital Assets Study explores how asset managers, asset owners, and wealth managers are approaching this next phase. Findings reveal rising operational readiness and growing confidence in digital assets, with 63 percent of respondents already managing digital assets or having provider relationships in place to do so should demand arise. The study also examines how institutions are building the capabilities and partnerships needed to support adoption at scale.
Key takeaways from the study include:
- Why more institutions expect digital assets to become mainstream within the next five years
- How firms are building the infrastructure, partnerships, and capabilities needed to participate
- Which investment operations, from custody and payments to fund issuance and tokenization, are most likely to be transformed
- Why trust, regulatory oversight, financial strength, and cybersecurity are becoming increasingly important when selecting service providers
- How digital cash, tokenized deposits, stablecoins, and tokenized money market funds are shaping institutional adoption strategies
Access the full study and gain insights into how institutions are translating digital asset ambitions into implementation strategies.
