83% Of Institutional Investors Plan To Increase Their Crypto Holdings

2025 could mark a point of no return for crypto. As traditional markets navigate between uncertainties and capricious interest rates, financial institutions seem to have found their new compass: digital assets. According to a recent study by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon, 83% of institutional investors plan to increase their crypto allocations as soon as next year. A shocking figure that hides a more complex reality, but above all a profound transformation of investment strategies. Far from clichés about volatility, crypto is becoming a pillar of institutional portfolios.

Cryptos and ETFs

Crypto is no longer just about bitcoin. Proof of this: nearly 75% of institutions already hold altcoins, according to the study. XRP and Solana are leading the way, appealing with their transactional utility and expanding ecosystems.

But the real catalyst lies elsewhere: the imminent arrival of altcoin ETFs. U.S. regulators may greenlight a dozen funds this year, transforming these cryptos into standardized investment instruments.

The CME Group, a giant in derivatives, opened hostilities in March 2024 with futures contracts on Solana. A strategic maneuver: by anchoring these assets in regulated infrastructures, institutions reduce perceived risks.

Bloomberg Intelligence identifies Litecoin, SOL, and XRP as the next favorites for ETFs. An implicit validation that even attracts the most cautious players.

Result? Institutional portfolios could allocate 5% or more to crypto. A symbolic threshold, but heavy with meaning: it signals the entry of altcoins into the maturity era. Risk-adjusted returns are becoming the new mantra, slowly erasing the hesitations inherited from previous cycles.

If altcoins structure portfolios, stablecoins and DeFi are reinventing the very mechanisms of finance.

Stablecoins and DeFi: the invisible gears of the revolution

Stablecoins are no longer just temporary bridges. According to the survey, 84% of institutions use them or plan to do so, but not only for transactions. Yield generation (73%), cash management (68%), or even cross-border payments (63%): these stable cryptos are becoming versatile tools.

Yet, only 24% of institutional investors are currently exploring decentralized finance. A paradox? No, an adjustment period.

Nearly 75% plan to venture into it by 2026, attracted by derivatives, staking, or peer-to-peer lending.

DeFi offers what traditional markets struggle to provide: granular returns, direct access to altcoins, and automation without intermediaries.

Coinbase also notes a growing appetite for yield farming and structured products.

Institutions are no longer content to speculate: they are building active strategies, combining stablecoins for stability and DeFi for performance. An unprecedented hybridization, where risk is calculated in algorithms rather than credit spreads.

The figures from Coinbase depict a strong trend: crypto is no longer a niche, but an essential vehicle for diversification. Between the rise of altcoin ETFs, the gradual colonization of DeFi, and the rise of stablecoins, institutions are rewriting the rules. With one goal: to capture returns in a changing economic landscape.