A recent survey by SBI Digital Assets Holdings, a subsidiary of Japanese asset manager SBI Holdings, reveals that institutional demand for cryptocurrencies is increasing. The survey found that nearly 60% of Asian institutional investors had exposure to some form of digital asset in the past year.
Almost 40% of these institutions said they wanted to increase their exposure in 2024, while 25% said they planned “significant increases.” Only 15% said they had no plans to invest or trade in digital assets.
“This trend shows that digital assets are increasingly accepted in diversifying investment portfolios,” the report said.
His interests varied. 67% of institutions currently delving into digital assets said they were most interested in cryptocurrencies. However, 33% predicted central bank digital currencies would be most widely adopted in the next three years.
Tokenizing real-world assets is also a priority, with almost 62% of institutions reporting that their customers have requested tokenized securities.
When asked what types of assets they would prioritize in tokenization, 40% of institutions said real estate, 14% said funds, 14% said physical infrastructure, 10% said bonds, and 10% said collectibles such as works of art. The rest was split between stocks and precious metals.
“When it comes to the benefits of tokenizing real-world assets, nearly half of respondents cite the reduction of intermediaries as the primary factor, while faster settlements, cost efficiency, improved transparency and increased liquidity are also listed as other factors,” the report said.
However, participants also saw barriers to adoption. 60% of respondents said the biggest hurdle is “the lack of a reliable ecosystem to process transactions end-to-end.” In other words, institutions are concerned that the current crypto infrastructure does not allow them to run their business properly.
Only 20% of organizations stated that cyber threats pose a greater danger, while 18% cited a lack of regulatory clarity for the sector.
*This is not investment advice.
