Our Research Brief with Economist Impact is Live: Digital Assets as the New Alternative for Institutional Investors

A message from OKX Global Chief Commercial Officer Lennix Lai. Opinions are that of the author and do not reflect OKX's official view. Not financial advice.

I'm pleased to share the launch of our new research brief, "Digital assets as the new alternative for institutional investors: market dynamics, opportunities and challenges," commissioned by OKX Institutional and authored by Economist Impact. This comprehensive study features insights and analysis from industry leaders such as Citi, Skybridge Capital and VanEck, and delves into the transformative potential of digital assets for institutional investors with a focus on four key areas: institutional asset allocation, custody, regulatory developments and risk management.

The projected value of tokenized assets is expected to surpass $10 trillion by 2030, unlocking an undeniable opportunity.* This shift is set to unlock unprecedented potential and, as our research brief shows, there is already significant institutional momentum for growth.

As institutional investors are increasingly entering the digital asset space, the report is designed to guide them on seizing opportunities while effectively mitigating challenges.

Key findings*

Asset allocation - 69% of institutional investors intend to increase their allocations to crypto and other digital assets within the next 2-3 years, with projections indicating that these assets could represent 7.2% of institutional portfolios by 2027.

Custody - 80% of traditional and crypto hedge funds utilizing digital assets employ third-party custodians, highlighting a strong reliance on specialized solutions for secure asset management. Moreover, the institutional digital asset custody market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23% through 2028. These findings underscore the industry's evolution to a point where there is strong demand for segregation of duties related to trade execution and asset custody.

Regulation - The current convergence of developing regulatory frameworks will soon address market uncertainty and enhance consumer protection, and lead to greater opportunities for investors. Examples of increased regulatory clarity can be found in several key financial centers across the globe such as Singapore and the UAE, while the approval of 11 Spot Bitcoin ETFs by the SEC in the US has significantly increased the accessibility of Bitcoin to institutional investors, which in turn has boosted demand and liquidity.

Risk management - Despite the differences between the traditional financial and digital asset classes, many tools that are commonly used in traditional finance are also used in crypto. Value-at-risk models, scenario analysis and reverse stress testing as well as real-time monitoring are some examples of this implementation.

As our research shows, digital assets are set to become a staple of institutional portfolios in the future. Increasingly mature blockchain technology and digital security infrastructure, ongoing efforts to achieve global regulatory clarity, deep liquidity pools and digital innovations such as tokenized real-world assets drive adoption, interest and investment.

At OKX, we’re committed to supporting this evolution by offering the tools and robust infrastructure that institutions need to confidently pursue their trading strategies. We hope this report serves as an invaluable guide for understanding the shifting dynamics of digital assets in institutional portfolios.

Lennix Lai

OKX Global Chief Commercial Officer

*Insights referenced in this release are cited in the research brief, and are comprised of (1) viewpoints from the Economist Impact roundtable session in Dubai, UAE; (2) interviews with industry experts; (3) desktop research, and industry surveys and studies. Sources for all referenced insights can be found in the research brief