A majority of affluent investors in seven major economies already own digital assets, and many plan to increase their holdings in 2026, according to a CoinShares survey reported by Cointelegraph. The findings point to a widening gap between wealthy investors’ approach to crypto and the more cautious stance of many financial advisers.
The survey questioned 2,230 people in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland. Each participant had at least $500,000 in investable assets.
Digital-asset ownership was highest at about 70% in the US, UK, Germany and Switzerland. Sweden recorded the lowest level among the countries surveyed, although ownership there still reached 54%. Among respondents who already held digital assets, crypto represented about 10% of portfolios on average.
Investors plan to add to holdings
Crypto ownership was not simply a reflection of past purchases. At least 85% of current digital-asset investors in five of the seven countries said they intended to increase their exposure during 2026. The proportion reached 91% in the US, UK and Germany.
The February 2026 crypto-market downturn also appeared to have limited influence on that intention. In every country included in the survey, more respondents said the sell-off made them more likely to invest in digital assets than said it made them less likely to do so.
The survey suggested that many affluent investors view crypto through a longer-term lens. Long-term appreciation and portfolio diversification were the main reasons respondents gave for owning digital assets. Speculation ranked last among the listed motivations, and only 6% described themselves primarily as short-term traders.
Bitcoin remained the most widely held asset. On average, 80% of digital-asset investors owned Bitcoin, while 89% of Bitcoin investors also held other digital assets. In addition, 77% of respondents said they believed Bitcoin would have an important role in the future global financial system.
The survey also found broad support for formal oversight: 79% of respondents backed increased regulation of digital-asset markets. Younger investors held a larger share of their portfolios in digital assets than older investors in all seven countries, with younger participants allocating roughly twice as much in four of them.
Advisers seen as behind their clients
The results indicated a potential disconnect between affluent investors and the professionals who advise them. Among respondents who worked with a financial adviser, roughly four in 10 in Switzerland, France, the US and Germany said their adviser was overly cautious about digital assets.
Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals and Edelman Financial Engines, told Cointelegraph that advisers have been slow to adopt crypto. He attributed that partly to a lack of knowledge or incentives to learn about the asset class. Edelman said advisers may already have established practices and may receive little encouragement from their firms to add digital assets to their expertise.
He also said some financial firms prohibit advisers from discussing crypto or presenting crypto-related investments to clients. That can leave advisers unaware of which clients own digital assets, potentially limiting conversations about tax, estate-planning and philanthropic matters connected with those holdings.
Debate over portfolio allocation
The survey’s estimate of an average 10% crypto allocation among affluent investors was disputed by Edelman. He said his own research indicated that allocations of 2% to 5% were more common.
At the same time, Edelman proposed substantially higher allocations based on an investor’s tolerance for risk: 10% for conservative portfolios, 25% for moderate portfolios and 40% for aggressive portfolios. Those figures represent his views, not a recommendation from the survey itself.
The debate comes as crypto remains controversial in retirement planning. An August survey by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 77% of Americans considered cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans risky. Of that group, 46% described it as very risky.
The contrasting findings underline the difference between affluent investors who are already participating in the digital-asset market and the broader public’s concerns about using crypto for retirement savings. The CoinShares survey shows strong ownership and planned increases among existing investors, while the retirement survey reflects wider skepticism about crypto in employer-sponsored plans.
Moneyiar market picture
Moneyiar market data recorded the following prices and performance at the stated times:
- Cronos (CRO): $0.0632351764, down 7.18% over 24 hours and 6.17% over seven days, as of October 7, 2026, at 10:19 a.m. +03:30.
- ONEchain (ONE): $0.1380451072, down 5.63% over 24 hours and up 0.23% over seven days, as of October 7, 2026, at 10:19 a.m. +03:30.
- REAL (ASSET): $0.2063109401, up 7.73% over 24 hours and down 11.35% over seven days, as of October 3, 2026, at 1:04 p.m. +03:30.
- Espresso (ESP): $0.115178575, down 4.73% over 24 hours and up 14.78% over seven days, as of October 7, 2026, at 10:19 a.m. +03:30.
These figures are Moneyiar market data and cover selected digital assets rather than the full crypto market.
