Unlocking Token Performance: The Power of Effective Investor Relations

Welcome to our institutional newsletter, Crypto Long & Short. This week, we delve into the world of token performance and the crucial role of investor relations. Jordan Brewer, investment analyst at Runa Digital Assets, highlights the importance of guide, deliver, repeat in driving token valuations. He notes that institutional-grade investor relations remains the missing piece in token markets, and that protocols like Maple Finance and EtherFi are leading the way in providing regular investor calls and forward guidance. Brewer also discusses the value of forward guidance in providing a measurable stock price premium and how it can lead to increased trust and rewards from the market. Meanwhile, Martin Burgherr, chief clients officer at Sygnum Bank, explores the significant shift in how institutional capital moves through crypto markets, with major trading firms separating custody from execution. This shift signals a broader evolution in digital asset market structure, with the infrastructure catching up to support this change. Burgherr notes that firms like Wintermute and Nomura's Laser Digital are already operating in this way, using collateral held in regulated bank custody while maintaining access to exchange liquidity. The article also highlights the maturing market structure of crypto, with traditional finance solving the problem of separating custody and execution long ago. According to EY-Parthenon's 2026 institutional investor survey, 73% of institutional investors plan to increase their digital asset allocations this year, with respondents getting more selective about counterparty risk. The migration is already underway, with the infrastructure scaling to meet the demand.