Japanese financial holding Nomura and its subsidiary Laser Digital released a report on institutional investors' attitudes towards digital assets in 2026.
The survey included 518 professionals: representatives from family offices, sovereign funds, and large organizations.
Key findings:
- 31% of respondents view the market positively, up from 25% in 2024;
- The proportion of skeptics dropped from 23% to 18%;
- 65% of those surveyed are already using cryptocurrencies for portfolio diversification;
- Most investors plan to allocate 2% to 5% of their capital to digital assets over the next three years.
Participants show significant interest in passive income: over 60% are considering staking, mining, lending, and investments in RWA.
In the stablecoin segment, coins issued by major banks are the most trusted. Investors plan to use them for cross-border transactions and capital management.
The development of the industry in Japan has been aided by regulatory updates at the end of 2025. However, challenges remain, including high volatility, custodial risks, and a lack of tools for fundamental analysis.
Nomura analysts noted that investors have stopped viewing cryptocurrency as an experiment and are now focusing on practical risk management issues.
In February, experts from River reported a record increase in Bitcoin adoption among institutional banks, public companies, and governments.