CoinShares Survey: Institutional Investors Managing $1.3 Trillion Are Increasing Their BTC Holdings

Author: Sam Bourgi

Translated by: TechFlow

TechFlow Insight: According to CoinShares’ latest quarterly survey, 32% of the 26 institutional investors surveyed—managing a combined $1.3 trillion in assets—already hold Bitcoin (BTC), while 25% have allocated to Ethereum (ETH). Although digital asset allocations remain low at roughly 1%, net inflows into digital assets have been positive for four consecutive weeks. In early May, spot BTC ETFs recorded nearly $1 billion in weekly net inflows. Improved regulatory clarity and the opening of ETF access channels are key drivers, while internal compliance restrictions remain the biggest bottleneck.

Fund managers are re-embracing digital assets. CoinShares’ latest survey shows Bitcoin continues to dominate institutional allocation preferences, and overall crypto market sentiment is also recovering.

This April survey covered 26 institutional investors managing a total of $1.3 trillion in assets. Digital assets still represent only about 1% of their portfolios. CoinShares describes this as “typical entry-level positioning,” reflecting the current risk-off market environment.

James Butterfill, Head of Research at CoinShares, wrote in the report: “Bitcoin remains the most compelling digital asset in terms of growth prospects.” Sentiment toward ETH and SOL has also improved modestly compared to previous quarters.

Survey findings: 32% of respondents have already invested in BTC; 25% have allocated to ETH.

Institutional investors are gradually increasing their positions, driven by improving market sentiment, rising ETF adoption, and a more favorable regulatory environment. At the same time, respondents cited internal compliance constraints and regulatory uncertainty as the top barriers to broader adoption. The survey also identified a trend: capital is shifting away from “legacy altcoins” toward newer DeFi protocols and emerging blockchain sectors.

Caption: Fund managers view Bitcoin as having the strongest growth prospects among digital assets, followed by ETH and SOL.

Source: CoinShares

Sustained Inflows and Broadly Improving Sentiment Indicators

The optimistic tone of the survey aligns with broader institutional fund flow data. CoinShares reports that digital asset investment products have recorded positive net inflows for multiple consecutive weeks, primarily driven by demand for Bitcoin.

As of April 27, crypto ETPs attracted $1.2 billion in inflows over the prior four weeks, marking the fourth straight week of positive flows and totaling $3.9 billion over the period.

This momentum continued into early May. According to SoSoValue data, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $1 billion in net inflows this week, pushing BTC’s price back above $80,000.

Caption: Bitcoin ETF inflows have risen steadily since last Friday.

Source: SoSoValue

This inflow trend is consistent with a joint survey by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon: 73% of institutional investors plan to increase their digital asset exposure this year, and most expect crypto asset prices to rise over the next 12 months.

The launch of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024 was widely viewed as a turning point for institutional adoption. The ETF structure reduces operational friction for institutions and provides regulated Bitcoin exposure without requiring direct custody of digital assets.