A majority of affluent investors across seven of the world's largest economies now hold digital assets, with crypto accounting for roughly 10% of their portfolios on average, according to a survey published by CoinShares.

The research covered 2,230 investors with at least $500,000 in investable assets across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland. Digital asset ownership ranged from 54% in Sweden to about 70% in the US, the UK, Germany and Switzerland. The results offer a measure of how far digital assets have moved into the mainstream of wealthy households' portfolios across Europe and North America.

Appetite for further exposure remains strong. At least 85% of current digital asset investors in five of the seven countries said they planned to increase their exposure in 2026, with the figure climbing as high as 91% in the US, the UK and Germany.

The February 2026 crypto market downturn did little to dampen that appetite. In all seven countries, more respondents said the sell-off made them more likely to invest in digital assets than less likely.

That resilience appears to reflect a longer-term view of the asset class. Long-term appreciation and diversification were the leading reasons respondents gave for investing in crypto, while speculation ranked last. Just 6% identified primarily as short-term traders.

Bitcoin (BTC) remained the most widely held digital asset, owned by 80% of digital asset investors on average, though 89% of BTC investors also held other digital assets. Meanwhile, 77% of respondents believed BTC would play a significant role in the future global financial system, while 79% supported increased regulation of digital asset markets.

Crypto exposure was particularly high among younger investors. That cohort allocated more to digital assets than older investors in all seven countries, and roughly twice as much in four of them.

Advisers lag crypto investors

The survey also found signs of a disconnect between affluent investors and their financial advisers. Roughly four in 10 respondents in Switzerland, France, the US and Germany who worked with an adviser said they found them overly cautious about digital assets. The gap is notable because affluent investors are the core clientele of the advisory industry.

Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals and Edelman Financial Engines, echoed that view. He told Cointelegraph that financial advisers remain slow adopters of digital assets, with many lacking the knowledge or incentive to learn about the asset class.

"Advisors are busy; they are already operating a successful practice filled with happy clients — so why bother learning something new? — and most are getting little to no encouragement from their firms."

Some firms, he added, prohibit advisers from discussing crypto or offering crypto-related investments to clients. As a result, advisers may not know which of their clients own crypto and could be missing opportunities to provide tax, estate-planning and philanthropic services around those holdings.

How much crypto should investors hold?

Edelman challenged CoinShares' finding that crypto allocations among affluent investors average around 10%, saying his own research suggests allocations of 2% to 5% are far more common.

Despite questioning the survey's figure, Edelman recommends allocations ranging from 10% to 40%, depending on risk tolerance: 10% for conservative portfolios, 25% for moderate portfolios and 40% for aggressive portfolios.

"As the asset class matures, 10% allocations or higher will become the norm," Edelman said. "The sooner people do that, the better off they will be."

His recommendations stand in contrast to broader skepticism about crypto for retirement savings. An August survey from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 77% of Americans considered cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans risky, including 46% who viewed it as very risky. That contrast underscores the range of views over how large a role digital assets should play in long-term wealth planning. With most surveyed investors planning to raise their exposure in 2026, how the advisory industry adapts to client behavior remains one of the open questions to watch.