32% of Financial Advisors Allocate Crypto for Clients, 56% Advisors Personally Own Crypto: Bitwise/VettaFi Survey

A recent survey by Bitwise Asset Management and VettaFi reveals that 32% of U.S. financial advisors allocated crypto in client accounts in 2025, a sharp increase from 22% in 2024. This marks an all-time high in the eighth annual survey. The data highlights a broader acceptance of crypto assets among financial professionals.

Additionally, 56% of advisors reported owning crypto in their personal portfolios, the highest level since the survey began in 2018. This suggests growing confidence in the asset class among those managing client wealth.

The survey also notes that 64% of client portfolios with crypto exposure had allocations exceeding 2%, up from 51% in 2024. This shift indicates that advisors are beginning to treat crypto as a more integral part of investment strategies.

Why Did This Happened

Advisors are allocating to crypto from equities (43%) or cash (35%) according to the survey. This trend reflects a belief that crypto assets offer meaningful return potential and risk profiles comparable to traditional equities.

Regulatory progress and institutional demand have also contributed to increased crypto adoption. Bitcoin reached new all-time highs in 2025, reinforcing its role as a store of value and a potential inflation hedge.

Infrastructure has also improved. Forty-two percent of advisors can now buy crypto in client accounts, up from 35% in 2024 and 19% in 2023. This growth in access has made it easier for advisors to integrate crypto into client portfolios.

How Markets Responded

Major financial institutions have issued allocation guidance that treats crypto as a risk-managed asset class. Fidelity Institutional and Morgan Stanley have both published modeling suggesting that allocations between 2% and 5% of a portfolio can improve risk-adjusted returns.

Bank of America and other institutions have also started recommending crypto exposure for certain client profiles. These recommendations signal a broader institutional acceptance of crypto as a legitimate asset class.

The increased adoption is not limited to advisors. State Street reported that over 50% of institutions currently hold less than 1% in digital assets, but 60% plan to increase their exposure beyond 2% within the next year.

What Analysts Are Watching

Advisors are showing a preference for crypto index funds (42%) over single-token funds according to the survey. This indicates a desire for diversification and reduced concentration risk.

Stablecoins and tokenization attracted the most interest (30%), followed by digital gold (22%) and crypto-related AI investments (19%) according to the survey. These trends suggest that advisors are looking for stable, innovative, and high-growth areas within the crypto space.

Analysts are closely monitoring the shift in portfolio allocations. Nearly half of advisors with crypto exposure have built positions in the 2% to 5% range, with 17% exceeding 5%. These allocations are considered real sleeves that could significantly impact portfolio performance.

The 1% allocation served as an experimental threshold. Now, with the shift to 2% to 5%, crypto is being evaluated for its potential to become a permanent feature of institutional asset allocation.

The 99% of advisors who allocated to crypto in 2025 plan to maintain or increase their exposure in 2026. This persistence suggests that crypto has moved from experimentation to acceptance in the financial industry.

As crypto moves farther into the mainstream, the role of financial advisors in shaping its future is becoming increasingly important. Their growing confidence and allocation strategies will likely influence broader market trends in the coming year.