Wealthy Investors Embrace Crypto More Than Their Financial Advisers Do
A recent CoinShares survey reveals that a majority of affluent investors across seven major economies currently own digital assets and plan to increase their exposure in 2026. Despite Bitcoin attempting to extend its rally after its best quarter since 2017, OKX secured additional funding valuing the firm at $25 billion, and Strategy invested six times more into stock buybacks than Bitcoin purchases. Nevertheless, many financial advisers remain cautious about cryptocurrencies, highlighting a gap between investor enthusiasm and adviser conservatism.
Bitcoin Rally Faces Headwinds from 5% Treasury Yields
Bitcoin experienced its best third quarter since 2017, gaining 43%, and extended its gains for the third consecutive week. However, according to research firm Delphi Digital, further progress may encounter resistance as U.S. Treasury yields surpass 5%, offering a compelling alternative to higher-risk assets.
Delphi Digital identified key resistance factors including the Federal Reserve’s rate hike in September and multi-decade highs in Treasury yields. At the same time, Vanessa Grellet from Arche Capital noted that inflation hedging through scarce assets like Bitcoin and gold does not necessarily depend on low interest rates.
The outlook on interest rates shifted following a September jobs report showing only 29,000 jobs added, below expectations of 80,000, reducing the odds of an October rate hike according to CME FedWatch. Additionally, New York Fed President John Williams stated there is no urgency to increase rates further.
Currently, elevated Treasury yields remain an obstacle for risk assets. Bitcoin briefly crossed above $87,000 last week but pulled back under $83,000 by Wednesday, reflecting the influence of bond yields on investor appetite for risk.
Affluent Investors Are Quicker on Crypto Adoption Than Their Advisers
A CoinShares survey of 2,230 investors holding at least $500,000 in investable assets across the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland revealed that on average, about 10% of their portfolios are allocated to cryptocurrencies.
Crypto ownership ranged between 54% in Sweden and roughly 70% in the US, UK, Germany, and Switzerland. Moreover, in five of seven countries, at least 85% of current crypto investors planned to increase their exposures in 2026.
In contrast, about 40% of respondents in Switzerland, France, the US, and Germany who work with financial advisers perceived their advisers as too cautious about digital assets.
Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals, disputed the finding of a 10% average crypto allocation, citing research that places common allocations between 2% and 5%. Still, he recommends larger positions ranging from 10% to 40%, based on individual risk tolerance.
OKX Extends Funding Round Valued at $25 Billion
Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has raised an undisclosed amount, extending a funding round which initially secured $200 million from Intercontinental Exchange in March at a $25 billion valuation.
Existing partners and investors participated, including Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures, Qube Research & Technologies, Ripple, and stablecoin issuer Circle. The exact amount raised in this extension was not disclosed.
The funding coincides with OKX’s push into traditional financial markets. Recently, a joint venture between OKX and ICE filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a tokenized stock trading platform under the agency’s new innovation exemption.
The platform’s launch is pending approval of the filing and exemption by the SEC.
Strategy Allocates Six Times More Capital to STRC Buybacks Than Bitcoin
Last week, Strategy spent $176.3 million repurchasing 1.77 million shares of its STRC stock, a sum over six times greater than the $28.7 million spent buying 334 Bitcoin.
According to an SEC 8-K filing, this brought Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings to exactly 848,000 BTC. Bitcoin accumulation has significantly slowed in Q3, with net growth just 0.2%, as sales of 5,553 BTC partly offset 7,218 BTC purchases.
Meanwhile, STRC shares have bounced back close to their $100 par value after dipping to roughly $75 in late June.
Strategy also filed a proxy to seek shareholder approval to transition dividend payments on STRC, STRF, STRK, and STRD shares to a daily schedule. Currently, STRC pays dividends twice monthly, while the others pay quarterly. The vote is scheduled for October 28th. If approved, daily dividends for STRC would start in November, with the other shares following in January. The company notes that the changes would not alter dividend rates or total payouts but may influence reinvestment timing, liquidity, and price stability.
Why it matters
This news underscores a growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies among wealthy investors, even as many financial advisers remain cautious. Bitcoin’s challenge to sustain its rally amid rising Treasury yields highlights the complexities posed by shifting macroeconomic conditions. The sizable funding round for OKX at a $25 billion valuation and Strategy’s aggressive share buybacks indicate substantial capital movements within the crypto industry. These developments reflect ongoing transformations and challenges in the market landscape involving both institutional participants and evolving regulatory frameworks.
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