Two-thirds of institutional investors and wealth managers believe digital assets will be among the best-performing asset classes over the next five years, according to new research from Nickel Digital Asset Management.
The global study found that 67% of respondents ranked crypto among their top five asset classes for risk-adjusted returns, ahead of private equity (64%), US equities (50%), European equities (44%) and commodities (35%).
The findings suggest institutional confidence in digital assets remains resilient despite market volatility throughout 2026.
A similar study conducted by Nickel Digital in January found 65% of respondents ranked crypto among their top five opportunities, indicating sentiment has remained largely unchanged.
The research, which surveyed institutional investors and wealth managers across the US, UK, UAE, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Brazil and the Nordics, also points to growing expectations for institutional adoption.
More than a third (36%) of respondents expect pension funds to significantly increase their allocations to digital assets over the next two years, while 33% anticipate a substantial rise from wealth managers.
Around 32% expect sovereign wealth funds to increase exposure significantly, with family offices (31%) and hedge funds (30%) also forecast to boost allocations.
Combined with those expecting smaller increases, the figures suggest broad institutional momentum behind digital assets. More than 70% of respondents expect pension funds to increase allocations in some form over the next two years, while 92% expect sovereign wealth funds to either slightly or significantly increase investment.
Anatoly Crachilov, CEO and Founding Partner at Nickel Digital, said the findings demonstrate how digital assets are becoming an increasingly established component of institutional portfolios.
“The long-term confidence in the asset class’s ability to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns compared with other major asset classes highlights how the focus on digital assets has moved towards strategic allocations,” he said.
