Two out of three wealthy investors own crypto, but only 4.7% are truly active

Two out of three wealthy investors now own crypto, but most do little with it. That is according to Nexo’s Digital Wealth Survey 2026, based on a survey of a thousand wealthy investors in three countries. Only 4.7% are deeply integrated: they actively and systematically use crypto as part of their wealth strategy. Nearly 20% expect crypto to become their main source of wealth growth over the next ten years.

In brief:

• 67% of wealthy investors own crypto, but only 4.7% use it systematically for wealth accumulation.
• Nearly 20% see crypto as the main driver of personal wealth over the coming decade.
• Operational infrastructure is, according to the report, the biggest barrier to broader integration.

Broad ownership, but little depth

For the report, Nexo developed its own measurement method, the so-called Crypto Integration Index (CII), which measures on a scale of one to ten how deliberately investors use crypto. It measures five behavioural dimensions, not only whether someone owns crypto.

On the basis of this, the report distinguishes five types of investors. On the one hand, there are investors who have not yet taken any position, for whom the barrier is mainly cognitive. On the other hand, there are investors who use crypto as the core of their portfolio and wonder how they can make that position work harder. The vast majority are in the middle: they hold a position, but do not use crypto systematically.

According to Nexo’s report, operational infrastructure is the main obstacle to broader integration. This includes the lack of suitable tools, custody solutions and accessible services for wealthy individuals.

Crypto grows as a serious wealth category

The figures show that crypto is increasingly seen as a fully fledged investment category. This aligns with broader market developments: Raiffeisen Bank now offers 18 million customers access to crypto via Bitpanda, which illustrates that traditional financial institutions are also taking the step.

The report differentiates by country. The most polarised market shows both the highest share of systematically integrated investors and the highest share of investors who do not yet have a position. In another market, crypto has emerged as an alternative to cash, partly driven by inflation and capital restrictions, making it the most accessible way to preserve wealth.

The conclusion of the study is that the group that truly uses crypto strategically is still small, but that expectations for the coming ten years are high among a substantial proportion of respondents. Whether those expectations materialise depends, according to Nexo, mainly on the further development of the available infrastructure.