A new study from Nickel Digital Asset Management found that 94% of institutional investors see the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new leadership as a positive development, and many of them are clamoring regulatory improvements in the digital assets space. The study identified that over two-thirds (69%) of institutional investors named enhanced clarity on cryptocurrency classification as their most desired regulatory change. A smaller segment (15%) advocated for more accommodating regulations, while approximately 9% would prefer a more measured regulatory approach. The remaining 8% anticipate no meaningful regulatory shifts. ‘The focus on crypto during the election has created expectations that there will be major changes at the SEC, which we have already seen take place within the agency dropping numerous actions against legitimate crypto firms, paving the way for the boost of economic activities in the sector,’ said CEO and Founding Partner at Nickel Digital Anatoly Crachilov. The London-based firm revealed last year that 38 publicly traded companies with a combined market cap of $800 billion now hold almost $22 billion worth of Bitcoin on their balance sheets, the bulk of which is based in North America. This marks a 196% increase in the value of their treasury holdings compared to 2023. The new research from the firm spans institutional investors and wealth managers from the U.S., U.K., Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. The respondents collectively manage around $1.1 trillion in assets, and about 90% expect a pro-crypto stance from the new SEC leadership. The appointment of Mark Uyeda as acting SEC chair, in addition to the naming of David Sacks as Crypto Tsar could drive increased institutional investment in the sector, officials found following 200 interviews in January 2025. Overall, 94% said they believe institutional investor sentiment will be more positive as a result, and 24% said it will be ‘significantly more’ favorable. Showing the growth potential of crypto, especially in the hedge fund industry, Chicago-based HFR this week launched 11 specialized sub-strategy indices which aim to provide more granular insights into the various investment approaches across the growing cryptocurrency and blockchain hedge fund space.

New research finds institutional investors want regulatory action on digital assets

A new study from Nickel Digital Asset Management reveals that 94% of institutional investors see the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new leadership as a positive development, with enhanced clarity on cryptocurrency classification being the most desired regulatory change. The research also highlights that 38 publicly traded companies with a combined market cap of $800 billion now hold almost $22 billion worth of Bitcoin on their balance sheets, a 196% increase from 2023. The study spans institutional investors and wealth managers from seven countries, collectively managing around $1.1 trillion in assets. The appointment of Mark Uyeda as acting SEC chair and David Sacks as Crypto Czar is expected to drive increased institutional investment in the sector, with 90% of respondents anticipating a pro-crypto stance from the new SEC leadership. Additionally, Chicago-based HFR launched 11 specialized sub-strategy indices to provide insights into the cryptocurrency and blockchain hedge fund space.