Wealth is increasingly flowing toward crypto even as broader markets wrestle with macro headwinds. A new CoinShares survey suggests that affluent investors in seven major economies are already comfortable holding digital assets—and many plan to add more this year, potentially outpacing the pace of guidance from some traditional financial advisers.
At the same time, crypto is contending with a difficult backdrop for risk assets. Bitcoin is attempting to extend a strong run that culminated in its best third quarter since 2017, but commentary from market research firms highlights that elevated Treasury yields and shifting expectations for Federal Reserve policy could make sustained momentum harder.
Key takeaways
- CoinShares survey results indicate a majority of affluent investors across seven countries already hold crypto, with an average allocation near 10% of portfolios.
- Bitcoin’s rally follow-through may face pressure as Treasury yields remain above 5%, offering an increasingly attractive alternative to risk assets.
- OKX extended a funding round at a $25 billion valuation, while pursuing additional steps toward tokenized traditional markets via an SEC filing.
- Strategy’s latest buyback week reportedly skewed heavily toward STRC shares, with spending on the stock far exceeding new Bitcoin purchases.
Why Bitcoin’s momentum is being tested by rates
Bitcoin’s third-quarter performance has been a bright spot for the market, with gains described by Delphi Digital as the strongest in years—plus momentum that has carried into weekly follow-through. Yet Delphi warned that the climb is occurring “against real resistance,” pointing to a rate environment that keeps traditional yields elevated.
According to commentary referenced by Delphi Digital, the resistance to a clean extension of the rally includes the Federal Reserve’s September rate hike and Treasury yields at multi-decade highs. In practical terms, the higher the return available from safe fixed-income assets, the more investors may hesitate to shift capital into volatile alternatives such as cryptocurrencies.
Still, the rate picture isn’t static. The odds of another October rate hike have shifted after September payrolls came in at roughly 29,000 jobs added versus expectations of 80,000, a move reflected in CME FedWatch data. Additional remarks from New York Fed President John Williams, as cited in the report, also suggested there is no urgency to raise rates again.
For traders and portfolio managers, the key tension is that crypto’s narrative drivers—liquidity expectations, risk appetite, and macro hedging—can diverge from what yields are currently signaling. In the near term, elevated Treasury yields remain a hurdle: Bitcoin briefly pushed above $87,000 before pulling back to below $83,000, according to the article’s account of recent trading.
Affluent crypto adoption appears to be outpacing advisory habits
The CoinShares survey offers a clear picture of how wealthy investors are approaching digital assets. It found that a majority of affluent investors across seven major economies hold crypto, and that on average crypto represents about 10% of their portfolios—figures that stand out because they appear to conflict with what some advisers are believed to be recommending.
The survey polled 2,230 investors with at least $500,000 in investable assets across the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland. Ownership rates varied by country, ranging from 54% in Sweden up to roughly 70% in the US, UK, Germany, and Switzerland. In five of the seven markets, at least 85% of existing crypto holders said they planned to increase their exposure in 2026.
The survey also points to a gap between investor behavior and adviser posture. In Switzerland, France, the US, and Germany, about four in 10 respondents who work with an adviser described those advisers as overly cautious about digital assets.
Still, not every allocation figure is universally accepted. Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals, questioned the idea that crypto averages 10% of affluent portfolios, saying his own research suggests allocations closer to 2% to 5% are more common. Edelman also argued that allocations may need to be much larger—within a range he recommended of 10% to 40%—depending on risk tolerance.
For readers, the practical implication is that demand from higher-net-worth segments may continue even if advisory mainstreaming lags. If affluent investors are actively increasing holdings, they can help sustain institutional-style flows, even when broader market participants remain cautious.
OKX press forward with funding and tokenized market ambitions
OKX has extended its funding round at a valuation of $25 billion, according to the report. The exchange reportedly raised an undisclosed amount and participated partners and investors included Intercontinental Exchange, which had invested $200 million earlier in March. Additional participants named in the article include Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures, Qube Research & Technologies, Ripple, and Circle.
The funding underscores a broader pattern: crypto exchanges are not only competing for liquidity and trading volume, but also positioning themselves to serve regulated capital markets. That shift is reflected in OKX’s separate efforts tied to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
On Monday, an OKX-ICE joint venture reportedly filed with the SEC to launch a tokenized stock trading platform under the agency’s innovation exemption. The article notes that the launch remains subject to both the filing’s outcome and the scope of the exemption.
For market participants, this matters because tokenized equities would sit at the intersection of traditional brokerage infrastructure and blockchain settlement. Even without confirming whether the platform will proceed, the filing itself signals that crypto firms are increasingly treating tokenization as a regulatory-first product pathway rather than a purely technical experiment.
Strategy’s buyback mix shows how corporate crypto exposure is evolving
Corporate capital allocation remains a major driver of sentiment in parts of the crypto market, and Strategy’s most recent moves illustrate how quickly priorities can shift. The company reportedly spent $176.3 million repurchasing 1.77 million STRC shares last week—more than six times the $28.7 million it used to buy 334 Bitcoin.
After the transactions, Strategy’s holdings were stated as exactly 848,000 BTC in a Monday 8-K filing with the SEC, as described in the article. However, the report also highlights that Bitcoin accumulation has slowed considerably: holdings rose by only about 0.2% in the third quarter, after purchases of 7,218 BTC were partly offset by the sale of 5,553 BTC.
Meanwhile, STRC shares have rebounded. The article says STRC has recovered to near its $100 par value, trading around $99.53 after falling to roughly $75 in late June.
Strategy also filed a proxy seeking shareholder approval to pay dividends on an accelerated schedule—daily for STRC, and daily/quarterly adjustments for other related share classes. Shareholders were scheduled to vote on the proposal on Oct. 28, with the article stating that if approved, daily STRC dividends would begin in November and STRF, STRK, and STRD would follow in January. The company said the timetable changes would not alter dividend rates or total payment obligations, while potentially affecting reinvestment timing, liquidity, and price stability.
Taken together, the buyback split suggests Strategy is diversifying its capital return strategy, not just adding Bitcoin. For investors watching corporate crypto exposure, the key question is whether this pattern is temporary—reflecting a specific trading window—or a longer-term rebalancing of how corporate vehicles allocate capital between crypto and related structured equity strategies.
Looking ahead, readers should watch how the rate narrative evolves—especially whether Treasury yields continue to constrain risk assets—and whether affluent investor demand translates into sustained inflows. Meanwhile, regulatory progress around tokenized securities filings and shifts in corporate buyback strategies could determine how quickly traditional finance pathways widen for blockchain-linked products.
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