By State Street 2025 global researchenormous investors are moving beyond trial periods and making explicit bets on digital assets and blockchain.
Nearly 60% of surveyed institutional investors say they plan to boost their cryptocurrency allocation next year. Average exposure is expected to double within three years, signaling concrete plans rather than idle talk.
Institutions are increasing their allocation of digital assets
Reports revealed that the first target is private markets. Private equity and private fixed income have topped the tokenization list as companies look to open illiquid holdings and make them easier to trade.
Most respondents expect that by 2030, 10-24% of institutional investments will be made through tokenized instruments. This is a massive change compared to pilots and proofs of concept.
Our 2025 global study on #digital assets and modern technologies reveal a decisive shift in the adoption and strategic commitment of institutional investors towards #tokenization and blockchain-based transformation. Read more: https://t.co/hzk1f3dZ1O pic.twitter.com/tULwI2Ke88
— State Street (@StateStreet) October 9, 2025
Benefits cited by investors
Investors gave clear reasons for this decision. Greater transparency was considered a key benefit by 52%. 39% chose faster trading and 32% chose lower compliance costs.
Nearly half of those surveyed said they expected savings of more than 40% thanks to greater transparency. These numbers facilitate explain why more and more companies are taking action now rather than waiting.
Operational changes are ongoing
Reports show that the change doesn’t just affect wallets. Forty percent of respondents already have a dedicated digital asset team or business unit. Nearly a third said blockchain and related digital operations are now part of their broader digital plans.
Joerg Ambrosius, president of investment services at State Street, said institutional clients view these tools as strategic levers for growth and efficiency, not just experiments.
Donna Milrod, chief product officer at State Street, added that companies are building teams and planning modern products such as tokenized bonds, on-chain wrappers, stablecoins and tokenized cash.
One in five companies plans to create modern digital asset groups in the near future. This suggests that organizational changes will follow capital commitments. Many managers are rewriting workflows and adding employees with blockchain skills.
At the same time, more than half of respondents said that generative AI and quantum computing could have a greater impact on investment operations than tokenization alone, although most see these technologies as working together rather than replacing each other.
The survey included senior executives from a variety of regions and institutions of various sizes and addressed both strategy and operational readiness.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
