Why 74% of Major Investors Are Bullish on Crypto Right Now

About half of institutional investors say they now place more emphasis on risk management, liquidity, and balancing positions.

According to a survey of 351 institutional investors published by EY-Parthenon and Coinbase on March 18, three out of four institutional investors believe that crypto prices will rise in the next 12 months.

The findings suggest that the recent price drop has done more to strengthen how big investors are engaging with crypto than to shake their confidence in it.

What the Numbers Mean

According to the report, 73% of investors plan to invest more in cryptocurrencies in 2026, and 74% think that prices will increase within a year. At the same time, nearly half (49%) said they would place more emphasis on risk management, capital purchases, and position sizes, given market volatility.

In addition, the survey found that the default entry point is now regulated products, with 66% of respondents already having spot ETFs or exchange-traded products (ETPs), and 81% saying they prefer to access crypto through a registered vehicle.

According to research, stablecoins have gone beyond theory, with 86% of investors already using or looking into them to manage money and money movements. Companies are also creating formal rules to limit each other’s risk and maintain transparency so that stablecoin workflows fit into their existing controls.

This is in line with recent developments such as Mastercard’s $1.8 billion acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK, announced on March 17, which focuses on cross-border payments and business transactions.

Tokenization is also going in the same direction. According to the report, in the last year, the number of asset managers who want to tokenize their assets has gone from 40% to 64%. Additionally, 63% of investors said they are willing to invest in tokenized assets, while 61% believe tokenization will have a major impact on trading, clearing and settlement in the next three to five years.

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Recently, Kraken announced a partnership with Nasdaq to develop token stocks through its xSstocks product, which has already handled more than $25 billion in transaction volumes.

Regulation Is The Biggest Driver Of All

One interesting thing learned from this study is that regulations cut both ways. 65% of institutions planning to buy more crypto in 2026 said clear rules were the main reason for doing so. However, another 66% also said that legal uncertainty is their biggest concern when investing.

When asked which areas most need clearer regulations, 78% pointed to market structure, followed by digital goods company licensing (56%) and tax administration (54%).

Fortunately, there has been some progress in the area, including the signing into law of the GENIUS Act last year to establish the first federal framework for stablecoins in the US In addition, the SEC recently issued guidance on token securities and restarted Project Crypto in collaboration with the CFTC to ensure that both organizations approach digital assets in the same way.