JPMorgan Survey Finds 29% of Institutional Traders Will Trade Crypto This Year

Nearly one in three institutional traders plan to buy and sell cryptocurrency in 2025.

That’s according to The e-Trading Edit, JPMorgan’s annual survey of more than 4,200 traders across many asset classes from more than 60 countries around the world.

Asked about their plans to trade cryptocurrency and digital coins, 29% of institutional traders said they either already were or intend to in 2025. That’s up from 21% in 2024.

Specifically, 13% said they already are trading cryptocurrencies, and another 16% said they intend to do so this year. That’s up from 9% and 12%, respectively, in 2024.

“A rise from 21% to 29% is a significant leap, signaling that more institutional players are warming up to digital assets, not just as a speculative trade but as a viable asset class,” said Sidney Powell, co-founder and CEO of Maple Finance, a decentralized finance (DeFi) lender focused on institutional and accredited clients.

“From our vantage point, institutional sentiment has shifted from curiosity to strategy. Firms aren’t just exploring crypto; they’re actively finding ways to integrate it into their operations.”

The increased interest aligns with what Powell is seeing at Maple Finance from institutional clients.

"Crypto’s gradual mainstream acceptance is evident in this survey,” said Powell. “Crypto is evolving from a niche, high-risk asset to an integrated component of diversified institutional portfolios.”

Part of that evolution, he said, is the advent of clear regulatory regimes in many jurisdictions. While that has been sorely lacking in the U.S. market, the Trump administration and congressional leaders have said their goal is to get a stablecoin bill and a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and digital assets in place during the administration’s first 100 days.

Digital Channels

Unsurprisingly, most institutional trading goes through digital channels.

Traders said they expect 71% of their trading activities this year to be accomplished through e-trading channels, a number they expect to go up to 80% in 2026.

That puts crypto and digital coins on par with other listed products, including equities, commodities, futures and options, foreign exchange and equity derivatives.

Regarding influential technologies, it’s no surprise that JPMorgan found artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are far and away the leaders, with two-thirds of the vote this year, up from 53% in 2023.

Blockchain and digital ledger technology declined in that period, with only 6% calling it the most influential technology in 2025, compared with 12% in 2023.