A new study from Nomura and its digital assets arm, Laser Digital, indicates that institutional investors are increasingly embracing digital assets, driven by improving sentiment and the discovery of new use cases. The survey, which polled over 500 investment professionals in Japan, found that 31% of respondents now have a positive view of crypto for the next year, up from 25% in 2024, while negative sentiment has decreased, signaling a gradual change in perception as the asset class gains maturity. A key finding is that 65% of respondents see crypto as a vital means of diversifying their portfolios, with 79% of those considering investment planning to do so within the next three years. Most institutions expect to allocate between 2% and 5% of their portfolios to crypto, indicating they are still in the early stages of adoption.
This shift is supported by a changing regulatory landscape, with Japan refining its crypto frameworks and global markets introducing clearer rules and approving new crypto investment products, such as ETFs and tokenized assets. As a result, institutions are looking beyond simple price exposure, with over 60% expressing interest in staking, lending, derivatives, and tokenized assets, reflecting a growing demand for yield-generating strategies and more complex portfolio construction.
Stablecoins are also gaining popularity, with 63% of respondents identifying potential use cases such as treasury management, cross-border payments, and investment in tokenized securities. While concerns about volatility, counterparty risk, and valuation frameworks persist, the survey suggests the focus is shifting from whether to invest in crypto to how to do so, indicating that digital assets are moving closer to becoming a standard component of institutional investment portfolios.