TL;DR (70 words total)
- 99% of financial advisors who allocated to crypto in 2025 expect to hold or increase exposure in 2026, signaling commitment rather than retreat.
- Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart circulated the figure, turning advisor intent into a clean KPI that pushes platforms to improve access, custody, and reporting.
- Advisory firms now must run crypto as an auditable allocation with governance, rebalancing triggers, and client-ready accountability, shifting competition toward trust and controls.
Crypto confidence is showing up in the advisory channel. A new data point says 99% of financial advisors who allocated to crypto in 2025 expect to hold or increase exposure in 2026, a near-unanimous stance for a profession built on caution. This is the moment crypto stops being a side bet and starts being a standing allocation decision. Once an allocation is live, it becomes a process with approvals, reporting, and client narratives, which makes reversals harder and makes discipline more valuable. It suggests advisors plan to stay engaged through the next cycle, not retreat.
99% of financial advisor who allocated to crypto in 2025 plan to increase or maintain their exposure in 2026. @EricBalchunas @JSeyff
(Data from the just-published 8th annual Bitwise/VettaFi Benchmark Survey of Financial Advisor Attitudes Towards Crypto Assets.) pic.twitter.com/ICANsniQ2Z
— Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) January 13, 2026
What the 99% figure implies for 2026 planning
The statistic also made the rounds online, with Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart circulating it and giving the market a clean KPI to anchor on. A figure this high signals stickiness, because it measures intent among existing allocators, not curiosity among spectators. That nuance matters for platforms selling access, custody, and reporting, since advisors who keep exposure will demand fewer clicks and fewer exceptions. It also reframes education from “why crypto” to “how we manage it,” which changes product roadmaps, service models, and stakeholder expectations inside advisory firms. In short, retention becomes the strategic metric.
For advisory firms, “hold or increase” is less about predicting price and more about building an operating model. The real work is turning exposure into a repeatable, auditable workflow that survives volatility and scrutiny. That means documenting why crypto belongs in a portfolio, how position sizing is set, and what triggers rebalancing. It also means aligning compliance, risk committees, and client communication, because every spike invites questions. The advisors who stay invested will be the ones who can explain process, controls, and accountability without sounding defensive. This is maturity, not just market conviction, at scale.
For the crypto industry, the 99% figure is both validation and a stress test. If advisors truly keep or raise exposure, the competitive edge shifts from hype to trust, controls, and consistent outcomes. Product teams will have to support advisory-grade needs, including clean statements, transparent fees, and clear risk framing. Distribution partners will also watch whether advisors add through drawdowns, not only during rallies, because intent gets tested by discomfort. 2026 will reveal whether planning translates into action and whether the market can meet advisors where their governance standards live. No shortcuts allowed.
