A CoinShares survey indicates a shift in institutional investors' approach to the cryptocurrency market.
Bitcoin and altcoins have faced sharp declines in recent days. At this point, BTC has fallen to around $73,000, while Ethereum, the largest altcoin, is struggling to hold above $2,000.
While further downside risks for BTC and altcoins are highlighted, CoinShares has released noteworthy survey results. The survey, conducted by CoinShares Research Director James Butterfill, included 28 investors managing a total of approximately $642 billion in assets.
The Share of Cryptocurrencies in Institutional Portfolios Has Increased!
The Digital Asset Fund Managers Survey for October 2026, published by CoinShares, indicates a shift in institutional investors’ approach to the cryptocurrency market.
The survey indicated that the average share of cryptocurrencies in investors’ portfolios increased from 1.2 percent in July to 1.3 percent.
The research revealed that investors are moving away from portfolios heavily weighted towards stocks and bonds, and turning to alternative investment instruments such as commodities and cryptocurrencies. The preference for alternative assets over cash was highlighted as a notable aspect of this shift.
One of the most striking results of the survey was the shift in motivation behind cryptocurrency investments. Portfolio diversification rose to first place, accounting for 40% of investment justifications. While diversification has been on an upward trend since 2021, speculation dropped to fifth place with a share below 9%. Furthermore, investors’ tendency to view cryptocurrencies as a valuable investment opportunity increased, while the influence of customer demand decreased.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Maintain Their Strength!
According to CoinShares’ survey results, Bitcoin and Ethereum continued to hold their core positions in portfolio preferences.
At this point, BTC remained the most preferred asset in terms of growth expectations.
Bitcoin and Ethereum together represented 47% of participants’ assets. Altcoin preferences shifted towards Sui, NEAR, Aave, Hyperliquid, Uniswap, and Chainlink, while Ethereum and Solana showed a slightly improved outlook.
*This is not investment advice.
