A new survey conducted by Nomura, a Tokyo-based bank, and its crypto-focused subsidiary Laser Digital, reveals that institutional investors are increasingly embracing digital assets, driven by improving sentiment and the emergence of new use cases. The study, which gathered responses from over 500 investment professionals in Japan, found that 31% of respondents now hold a positive outlook on crypto for the next year, up from 25% in 2024, while negative sentiment has decreased. This shift in perception can be attributed to the maturation of the asset class.
A key finding of the study is that 65% of respondents view crypto as a vital tool for diversifying their portfolios, with 79% of those considering investment planning to do so within the next three years. Most institutions expect to allocate a modest portion of their portfolio to crypto, typically between 2% and 5%, indicating that they are still in the early stages of adoption. The changing regulatory landscape, including clearer rules in major markets and the expansion of crypto investment products such as ETFs and tokenized assets, has reduced uncertainty and encouraged institutions to engage more deeply with digital assets. As a result, interest in crypto is expanding beyond simple price exposure, with over 60% of respondents expressing interest in staking, lending, derivatives, and tokenized assets, reflecting a growing demand for yield-generating strategies and more sophisticated portfolio construction.
Stablecoins are also gaining traction, with 63% of respondents identifying potential use cases such as treasury management, cross-border payments, and investment in tokenized securities. However, barriers to adoption remain, including concerns around volatility, counterparty risk, and the lack of established valuation frameworks.
Despite these challenges, the survey suggests that the conversation around crypto is shifting, with institutions increasingly focused on how to invest in digital assets rather than whether to do so, indicating that crypto is moving closer to becoming a standard component of institutional portfolios.