Financial advisors are recommending crypto more than ever, survey says
Cryptocurrency has been steadily gaining mainstream acceptance, and the support it received from President-elect Donald Trump during the 2024 election helped solidify its status as a household name in the United States. A new survey suggests that its growing popularity is driving a significant shift among financial advisors, and they are expected to show a greater willingness to invest in crypto in 2025—a transformation that seemed almost unimaginable just a few years ago.
Bitwise Asset Management, a firm specializing in crypto index funds and ETFs (exchange-traded fund), and VettaFi, a leading data-driven ETF platform, have published the seventh annual “Bitwise/VettaFi 2025 Benchmark Survey of Financial Advisor Attitudes Toward Crypto Assets.” The survey found 56% of advisors plan to increase crypto investments in 2025, citing the election outcome as a key factor.
Conducted between November 14 and December 20, 2024, following the U.S. election, the survey highlights a shifting perception of cryptocurrencies. This change comes in the wake of the SEC’s approval of Bitcoin and Ether ETFs earlier in the year.
“Advisors are awakening to crypto’s potential like never before, and they’re allocating like never before,” said Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan.
According to the survey, people’s interest in cryptocurrency reached an all-time high in 2024, with 96% of financial advisors being asked about cryptocurrency by their clients.
Advisors are embracing crypto like never before
Financial advisor allocation to client cryptocurrency holdings doubled to 22% in 2024 from 11% in 2023, reaching a record high. Among those already invested, 99% plan to maintain or increase their crypto exposure in 2025.
What factors do advisors prioritize when selecting Bitcoin ETFs?
The survey also found that the expense ratio, which refers to the cost of owning an ETF, tops the list, with 58% of advisors citing it as the most important consideration. Notably, the brand of the issuer (46%) and issuer support (43%) ranked higher than assets under management (28%) when it comes to putting money into the Bitcoin ETFs.
Challenges remain for broader crypto adoption
Despite significant growth in Bitcoin ETFs, access to cryptocurrency remains limited, with only 35% of financial advisors reporting the ability to buy crypto for client accounts. Regulatory uncertainty remains the primary obstacle, mentioned by 50% of advisors—though this marks an improvement from earlier surveys, where it varied between 60% and 65%.
Hougan pointed out that two-thirds of financial advisors, who collectively manage trillions of dollars, still lack access to crypto for their clients. He expressed optimism that this could change in 2025 as the “mainstream era of crypto” gains momentum.
