CoinShares quarterly survey: Institutional crypto allocation diversification share rises to 63%

According to a quarterly survey report released in May by asset management research firm CoinShares, among 26 institutional investors managing about $1.3 trillion in assets, 63% said the main motivation for their cryptocurrency allocation is diversification and meeting client needs, up significantly from 36% two years ago; the share of speculative allocation reasons fell sharply from the highest level two years ago to 15%.

Survey core data and methodology

(Source: CoinShares)

According to CoinShares’ May 2026 quarterly survey, this time it collected responses from 26 institutional investors, with the surveyed institutions collectively managing about $1.3 trillion in assets.

In the report, James Butterfill said: “Two years ago, speculation was the main reason fund managers held digital assets. Now, this figure has fallen to 15%. In its place: diversification and client needs now account for 63% of the reasons for asset allocation.”

According to the CoinShares survey, the median allocation to cryptocurrencies among the surveyed institutions remains at 1%, while the weighted average proportion is 0.1%; the latter is mainly due to the sample having a higher proportion of large institutions.

Shift in holdings preferences: BTC leads, with rising attention on ETH, SOL, and XRP

According to the CoinShares survey, Bitcoin (BTC) is still ranked first among the assets with the best growth prospects by the surveyed institutions. Attention on Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) increased compared with last quarter; XRP entered the “top four” assets in terms of growth prospects in this survey. BTC and ETH together account for 58% of the allocation responses in the surveyed portfolios.

The shares of traditional altcoins such as Cardano (ADA) and Polkadot (DOT) declined in the surveyed portfolios; meanwhile, allocation attention for DeFi (decentralized finance) protocols including Aave (AAVE), Sui (SUI), Tron (TRX), and others increased.

Key barriers to institutional allocation: internal corporate restrictions surpass regulation as the top obstacle

According to the CoinShares survey, the main obstacles faced by institutions seeking to deepen crypto allocations, in order, are:

Internal corporate restrictions: having replaced regulation as the top obstacle, with legacy systems at large institutions being the main friction point

Quantum computing risk: continuously mentioned in client meetings

Concerns about reputation and market volatility: the survey indicates they remain at relatively high levels, though improved compared with the earlier period

According to the CoinShares survey, most respondents said they still remain watchful regarding potential policy mistakes by the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed).

FAQs

What is the size of the institutional respondents in CoinShares’ May 2026 survey?

According to the CoinShares report, this quarterly survey collected responses from 26 institutional investors; the surveyed institutions collectively manage about $1.3 trillion in assets. The report was released in May 2026.

What changes occurred in the main motivations for crypto allocations by institutional investors?

According to the CoinShares survey, 63% of the surveyed institutions say the main motivation for their crypto allocation is diversification and client needs, up significantly from 36% two years ago; speculative reasons fell from the highest share two years ago to 15%.

What are the typical allocation proportions for institutional crypto assets today?

According to the CoinShares survey, the median allocation to cryptocurrencies among the surveyed institutions is 1%, and the weighted average proportion is 0.1%; the main reason the latter is relatively low is that large institutions make up a higher share in the sample.