Affluent investors in major economies are not only holding crypto—they plan to add more even after a market downturn, according to a new survey from CoinShares. Across the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland, the report finds that digital assets are already a meaningful part of many portfolios, averaging around 10%, with ownership of some form of digital assets held by a majority of respondents in every country surveyed.
The findings come from a survey of 2,230 investors with at least $500,000 in investable assets. Digital asset ownership ranged from 54% in Sweden to roughly 70% in the US, UK, Germany and Switzerland. Importantly for portfolio managers and advisers, the survey suggests investor intent has remained strong: at least 85% of current digital asset holders in five of the seven countries said they planned to increase exposure in 2026, reaching as high as 91% in the US, UK and Germany.
Key takeaways
- CoinShares reports digital asset ownership among affluent investors ranges from 54% (Sweden) to about 70% (US, UK, Germany, Switzerland).
- Across most of the surveyed markets, a large majority of current crypto holders expect to raise their allocations in 2026.
- The February 2026 downturn did not weaken appetite; respondents in all seven countries were more likely to say the sell-off would make them invest than not.
- Bitcoin is the dominant holding, owned by 80% of digital asset investors on average, while many BTC holders also diversify into other assets.
- Advisers appear slower to engage: in several countries, roughly four in 10 investors who work with advisers said those advisers were overly cautious about digital assets.
A downturn that didn’t cool conviction
CoinShares’ survey indicates that the February 2026 crypto sell-off had limited negative impact on investor behavior. In all seven countries, more respondents said the downturn made them more likely to invest in digital assets rather than less likely.
That resilience seems rooted in how investors describe their motivation. In the survey, long-term appreciation and portfolio diversification were the most common reasons respondents cited for holding crypto, while speculation ranked last. Only 6% of respondents said they primarily saw themselves as short-term traders.
For market participants, this matters because it points to a steadier demand base than a purely cyclical trading narrative. If positioning is supported by longer-term investment goals, the marginal buyer during volatile periods may come from wealth allocation decisions rather than short-term risk-on flows.
How investors allocate: Bitcoin leads, diversification follows
Bitcoin remained the most widely held digital asset in the survey. According to CoinShares, 80% of digital asset investors on average reported owning BTC. However, the report also shows that BTC investors frequently hold more than one asset: 89% of those who hold Bitcoin also hold other digital assets.
CoinShares adds that many investors expect Bitcoin to retain a central role in finance. The survey reports that 77% of BTC investors believed Bitcoin would play a significant part in the future global financial system. At the same time, support for clearer rules appears broad: 79% of respondents favored increased regulation of digital asset markets.
Another notable pattern is generational. CoinShares finds crypto exposure is higher among younger investors, who allocated more to digital assets than older investors in all seven countries. In four of them, the younger cohort’s allocations were roughly double those of older investors.
Investor-adviser gaps could shape adoption
Beyond self-directed interest, CoinShares’ survey highlights a potential friction point: the relationship between affluent investors and the financial advisers who serve them. The report found signs of a disconnect, with about four in 10 respondents in Switzerland, France, the US and Germany who worked with an adviser saying they found advisers overly cautious about digital assets.
Cointelegraph also spoke with Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals and Edelman Financial Engines. Edelman told Cointelegraph that many advisers are slow to adopt crypto due to a combination of limited knowledge and a lack of incentives to learn. He also suggested that some firms discourage or restrict adviser conversations about crypto or the ability to offer crypto-related investments.
Advisors are busy; they are already operating a successful practice filled with happy clients — so why bother learning something new? — and most are getting little to no encouragement from their firms.
Edelman further argued that adviser restrictions can leave clients’ crypto holdings unnoticed. If advisers do not know which clients own crypto, he said they may miss opportunities to provide tax, estate-planning and philanthropic services tied to those assets.
For investors, this adviser gap can influence how quickly crypto moves from “held personally” to “integrated into broader wealth planning.” It also affects whether risk management, reporting, and compliance considerations are addressed early—or only after allocations grow.
How much crypto is “right”? A debate on the 10% average
CoinShares reports average crypto allocations of around 10% among affluent investors. Edelman challenged that specific figure, saying his own research suggests allocations of 2% to 5% are far more common.
Still, Edelman’s position is not conservative. He recommended allocations ranging from 10% to 40%, depending on risk tolerance—10% for conservative portfolios, 25% for moderate portfolios, and 40% for aggressive ones. In his view, as the asset class matures, allocations of 10% or higher may become more typical.
His stance also intersects with concerns about crypto in retirement planning. An August survey from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 77% of Americans consider cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans risky, including 46% who view it as very risky. While the CoinShares survey focuses on affluent investors rather than retirement-plan participants broadly, the difference underscores the same challenge from another angle: acceptance varies widely depending on the financial context.
Readers watching this space should pay attention to whether adviser engagement improves as investors’ intent rises. The CoinShares results suggest demand is already present; the next question is how much of that demand gets translated into mainstream allocation frameworks—especially as regulatory expectations and retirement-related attitudes evolve.
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