TLDR:
- Wealth managers show a wide gap between current crypto allocation and future intent, with 67% unallocated and 60% planning exposure.
- The same 60% share expects crypto prices to finish 2026 higher, giving the informal poll a constructive market view despite limited exposure.
- XRP generated the most questions during the Bitwise presentation, while Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Hyperliquid, stablecoins, and tokenization drew attention.
- Bitwise and VettaFi survey data shows 32% of advisors allocated to crypto in 2025, while 42% could buy it for client accounts.
An informal Bitwise poll shows 67% of roughly 400 wealth managers have no crypto allocation in client portfolios. The same audience signals possible future demand. Sixty percent plan to add exposure within 12 months, while another 60% expect crypto prices to finish 2026 higher. No allocation size was disclosed publicly. The responses capture interest and intent, but they do not represent a randomized survey of the wider industry.
Participants attended a Bitwise presentation, which may attract professionals already tracking digital assets closely. The poll therefore shows the distance between discussion and implementation within firms today. It also captures how wealth managers now view Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins, tokenization, and related investment products globally.
Wealth Managers Show Stronger Crypto Interest Than Allocations
Bitwise Head of Research Ryan Rasmussen shared the poll after appearing with Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan. The session covered Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Hyperliquid, stablecoins, tokenization, and the changing regulatory setting. XRP generated the most questions from attendees, Rasmussen said.
The response puts XRP alongside the larger assets that typically anchor institutional discussions. Bitcoin offers the market’s primary reference asset, while Ethereum and Solana represent blockchain network exposure. Stablecoins and tokenization move the discussion toward payments, settlement, and digital forms of traditional assets.
Sixty percent of wealth managers said they planned to add a crypto allocation within a year. The same share expected prices to finish 2026 above current levels. Those answers connect planned portfolio exposure with a constructive market view. Neither response specifies an asset, vehicle, or allocation size.
The poll also does not show how many participants had started internal approval processes. A manager may support crypto exposure while a firm limits purchases to exchange-traded products. Another firm may require investment committee review, approved custodians, or additional client disclosures before execution.
The difference between interest and completed purchases is visible in the survey’s design. It records what attendees said during one presentation. It does not measure account balances, new deposits, or purchases completed after the event.
Why Wealth Managers Still Delay Their First Crypto Allocation
Broader Bitwise and VettaFi research shows adoption moving upward over time. Their 2026 benchmark survey found that 32% of financial advisors allocated crypto to client accounts in 2025. That figure rose from 22% in 2024. The survey also found that 42% could buy crypto for clients, compared with 35% in 2024 and 19% in 2023.
The Bitwise/VettaFi 2026 Benchmark Survey tracks financial advisor attitudes, preferred investment vehicles, and market themes. It gives the event poll a wider reference point, while the two samples measure different groups and use different methods.
The latest audience results therefore sit between broader access and limited implementation. More firms now provide a route to client exposure. That route can still involve custody, compliance, valuation, liquidity, tax, and reporting reviews. Wealth managers must also explain volatility and suitability before placing a digital asset in a client account.
The session topics show that professional questions extend beyond Bitcoin. Attendees asked about XRP, while the presentation also addressed Ethereum, Solana, Hyperliquid, stablecoins, and tokenization. The range indicates that conversations now include networks, settlement tools, and asset-backed digital instruments.
Existing crypto portfolios also show a larger share of allocations above 2%, although no percentage is provided. It does not identify the account types involved. That missing detail prevents a direct comparison with the 67% who reported no current exposure.
For wealth managers, operational rules can determine when interest becomes an allocation. Firms may require approved platforms, independent custody, transaction records, risk disclosures, and suitability reviews. The Bitwise poll records planned activity, while those controls determine whether any client capital actually moves.
