Fireblocks: 99% of European firms expect crypto rules

Fireblocks’ 2026 Financial Grid survey of more than 600 senior executives found near-unanimous expectation that regulation will support digital asset adoption. Ninety-nine percent of continental European institutions and every U.K. respondent said rules will help adoption.

The survey measures current funding plans and near-term commitments. In continental Europe, 53% of institutions had set funding plans before 2026, compared with a global average of 42%. In the U.K., 36% had already allocated budgets and a further 59% planned to commit funds during 2026.

Respondents in continental Europe most often identified reliable fiat connectivity (55%), proven production use cases (49%) and institutional-grade infrastructure (40%) as the main barriers to faster adoption. Almost half of continental respondents cited operating-model readiness as a major internal challenge; governance and limited expertise were also commonly reported. Only 29% pointed to outdated core technology as a key constraint.

U.K. institutions reported a different set of priorities. Seventy-one percent pointed to core-system limitations as a key barrier. U.K. respondents placed greater emphasis on infrastructure support, fiat connectivity and regulatory clarity when choosing how to proceed. Sixty percent of U.K. firms rated a provider’s reputation and long-term financial stability as critical factors, compared with 33% of continental firms. Security, custody, integration and operational resilience were common vendor requirements across both regions.

Both markets are focusing first on settlement infrastructure. Round-the-clock settlement and real-time payments were listed as a top use case by 86% of continental respondents and 82% of U.K. respondents. Cross-border payments and settlement for tokenized securities were also major priorities. Sixty-two percent of continental firms plan to use tokenized money-market funds, versus 45% in the U.K. Continental institutions lead in plans for tokenized securities and deposits. In the U.K., 50% of institutions plan to issue their own stablecoins, compared with 40% in continental Europe.

The survey notes that Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA) has provided a defined regulatory framework for continental firms, while U.K. regulatory details remain under development. The findings show differing approaches to funding, infrastructure and vendor selection as firms in each market prepare for digital-asset activity in and around 2026.