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- 38% of finance professionals who personally hold crypto view it as a growth opportunity with strong upside potential
- 96% of professional investors are optimistic about crypto’s future as an asset, vs just 39% of beginner investors
- 25% of finance professionals describe crypto primarily as a high-risk asset — falling to just 1 in 10 among those who personally invest
- 8% of respondents cite payments utility as a reason to hold crypto, yet wider merchant acceptance and regulatory integration are seen as critical drivers of future adoption
- 42% of finance professionals cite regulatory uncertainty as their primary barrier to greater institutional involvement
GENEVA, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sandmark has today published the first edition of its Crypto Intelligence Report, uncovering how credible and reliable intelligence are building real conviction among finance professionals and investors.
Michelle Fotopoulou, Chief Marketing Officer at Sandmark, commenting on the Crypto Intelligence Report
The study captured the attitudes and behaviours of over 5,000 finance professionals and crypto investors across Australia, Brazil, India, Singapore, South Korea, UAE, UK and the US. Conducted in partnership with the global consumer audience insights platform GWI, the report fills a significant gap in existing market research by focusing specifically on the financially literate crypto investors: those working within and alongside the financial industry.
“Most crypto research focuses on retail sentiment. We wanted to understand how finance professionals – people who work with risk and capital every day – actually perceive and engage with crypto. What we found challenges a number of assumptions,” said Michelle Fotopoulou, Chief Marketing Officer at Sandmark.
Experience contextualizes risk
Just one in ten finance professionals who own crypto perceive it as high risk, compared to 25% of the wider professional finance community. Optimism and confidence rise in line with active participation, peaking among institutional investors and long-term holders. Beginners remain the least certain. The data consistently shows that hands-on experience, supported by reliable market intelligence, is what builds genuine conviction.
Regulation is recruitment
Regulatory uncertainty remains the primary barrier to broader institutional participation, alongside volatility and governance concerns. Yet across all respondent groups, crypto is viewed as a long-term strategic asset with strong upside potential, rather than a short-term trade. As regulatory clarity improves, the market’s next growth phase is widely expected to be led by institutions.
Michelle said: “Strong regulation acts as a catalyst for engagement. As jurisdictions put protections in place, activity accelerates, with greater confidence unlocking broader adoption.”
Public figures: formative but divisive
High-profile individuals continue to play an outsized role in shaping sentiment, often in conflicting ways. Among a pre-defined shortlist of public figures, Elon Musk drives the strongest positive sentiment (51%), while Donald Trump generates the most negative (38%), despite also ranking as the second most cited positive influence (17%). Among crypto holders who identify Musk as their strongest positive influence, 77% report high optimism toward crypto’s future as an asset. The study reflects how public figures are capable of simultaneously amplifying enthusiasm and undermining trust.
An evolving but maturing market
Michelle concluded, “It’s fascinating to see the evolution of sentiment in the crypto market, particularly in the case of institutions and finance professionals. While social media drives discovery, real market data is in higher demand. Investors need consistent, actionable market intelligence to understand the evolving crypto ecosystem.”
The Sandmark Crypto Intelligence Report is available here.
About Sandmark
Established in 2025 by a Switzerland-based entrepreneur, Sandmark operates internationally with editorial hubs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Sandmark is led worldwide by traditional and new financial media professionals who have decades of experience covering a range of markets from banking to commodities, and FX trading to equities research.
The Sandmark Team is comprised of 20+ global employees – including journalists, researchers and data analysts – that are united in the mission to deliver clear, credible, and context-rich reporting.
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Sandmark Crypto Intelligence Report: first edition of key trends shaping the digital asset landscape
