Nomura : Publishes 2026 Institutional Investor Survey on Digital Asset Investment Trends

Improved sentiment toward crypto assets: Thirty-one percent of respondents described their outlook on crypto assets over the next year as positive, up 6 percentage points from 25% in the previous survey. Meanwhile, the percentage of respondents with a negative outlook fell to 18%, down 5 points from 23%, indicating an overall improvement in sentiment toward crypto assets.

Crypto assets increasingly seen as a diversification tool: Sixty-five percent of respondents said they view crypto assets as an opportunity to diversify their portfolios, up 3 percentage points from 62% in the previous survey. Among those considering investing in crypto assets over the next three years, 79% said they have plans to invest. Of these, 60% expect to allocate 2% to less than 5% of their portfolios.

Diversification the main investment rationale: The primary reason respondents gave for investing in crypto assets was diversification. Many also said they value the low correlation of crypto assets with other asset classes, showing growing recognition of their role in portfolio diversification.

Growing interest in a wide range of digital asset products: The survey showed growing interest in various digital asset segments, with more than 60% of respondents expressing interest in staking/mining (66%), lending/collateralized loans (65%), derivatives (63%), and tokenized assets (65%). This reflects growing demand for income-generating and asset-utilization strategies.

Stablecoins seen as having potential use cases: Sixty-three percent of respondents identified potential use cases for stablecoins, including treasury management, cross-border payments/FX transactions, crypto asset investment, and investment in tokenized securities. Across JPY, USD, and EUR, stablecoins issued by major financial institutions received the highest level of trust.

Barriers remain, but focus shifting to accelerating adoption: The survey confirmed that several barriers to crypto asset investment remain. The main challenges include the lack of established frameworks for fundamental analysis; counterparty risks such as default, fraud, and asset loss; high volatility; and regulatory uncertainty. At the same time, adoption is accelerating due to the development of a diverse range of investment products, improvements in risk management practices, regulatory reforms, and increased participation by financial and non-financial players.