Institutions plan to raise crypto exposure, Sygnum survey finds

The survey covered 1,000 institutional investors globally and found confidence holding through the early‑October slump, with most respondents expecting to add positions in the months ahead.

Expectations of higher future returns are the main driver. About 73% of participants cited this motive for investing in digital assets.

Lucas Schweiger, Sygnum’s lead crypto asset ecosystem researcher, called 2025 “one of measured risk, pending regulatory decisions and powerful demand catalysts against a backdrop of fiscal and geopolitical pressures.” He added, “Discipline has tempered exuberance, but not conviction, in the market’s long-term growth trajectory.”

Regulatory timing remains a key variable. The report points to delays around the Market Structure bill and U.S. approvals for additional altcoin exchange-traded funds. Sygnum linked SEC decision timelines to the U.S. government shutdown, now in its 40th day as of Nov. 11, 2025, and indicated that the end of the shutdown could bring “bulk approvals” that spur institutional inflows. At least 16 crypto ETF applications are awaiting SEC action, according to the report.

Interest extends beyond Bitcoin and Ether. More than 80% of respondents expressed interest in crypto ETFs excluding those two assets, and 70% would start investing or increase allocations if such ETFs included staking rewards. Staking involves locking tokens on a proof-of-stake network to help secure it and earn periodic rewards.

Sygnum’s analysis noted that near-term catalysts may slip, yet institutions are seeking diversified, longer-term exposure to a maturing market. The firm indicated uncertainty around policy and product approvals could continue into 2026.

Schweiger emphasized ongoing participation alongside recent volatility, stating that “powerful demand catalysts and institutional participation remained at an all-time high,” with growing ETF applications signaling more interest from large investors.

As GNcrypto covered previously, Florida introduced HB 183 to allow up to 10% of state and pension funds to hold digital assets and exchange-traded products, expanding eligible assets beyond Bitcoin to tokenized securities, ETFs and NFTs, with stricter custody and fiduciary standards from July 1, 2026. A companion bill, HB 175, would set 1:1 reserve and reporting rules for payment stablecoin issuers. Similar proposals surfaced in New Hampshire, Texas and Arizona.