Asia’s Wealthy Are Betting Big: 87% of High-Net-Worth Individuals Plan to Boost Crypto Holdings, Sygnum Survey Reveals

Forget the safe harbor of bonds and blue chips—Asia's financial elite are steering their fortunes into digital waters. A new survey from crypto bank Sygnum paints a stark picture of shifting priorities in private wealth management.

The Numbers Don't Lie

The headline figure is impossible to ignore: a staggering 87% of the region's high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) intend to increase their exposure to cryptocurrencies. This isn't casual dabbling; it's a strategic allocation shift that signals a profound loss of faith in traditional finance's ability to generate alpha—or even preserve capital.

Beyond the Hype Cycle

This move represents a maturation. These aren't retail traders chasing memecoins on leverage. This capital is coming from seasoned investors who've watched crypto winter thaw into a regulated spring, with institutions like the FSA in Japan and other regional bodies finally drawing clear lines in the sand. The infrastructure—custody, banking, insurance—is now built for them.

The Quiet Portfolio Revolution

The survey cuts through the noise of daily price swings to reveal a deeper trend. Portfolio rebalancing is underway. Real estate allocations are getting trimmed, fixed income is being questioned, and a slice of that capital is being redirected to a new asset class that promises (though doesn't guarantee) uncorrelated returns and a hedge against monetary debasement—a favorite pastime of central bankers everywhere.

The Bottom Line

When nearly nine out of ten of the wealthiest investors in the world's most dynamic economic region decide to double down on crypto, it's not a speculative bubble. It's a vote of no confidence in the old system. The smart money is moving, bypassing legacy gatekeepers entirely. The only question left is whether traditional finance can adapt fast enough, or if it will be left holding a bag of outdated instruments and cynical fees.

Goh emphasizes crypto is firmly embedded within APAC’s wealthy circles

The Sygnum co-founder and APC CEO, Gerald Goh, stated that crypto is currently firmly embedded within Asia’s rich, with approximately 66% indicating they WOULD invest more confidently in crypto if their private banks or wealth managers demonstrated high security and custody standards. However, Goh pointed out that Hong Kong’s and Singapore’s MAS regulatory frameworks have built the infrastructure needed for traditional financial institutions to offer crypto services. 

According to Goh, the question is no longer whether private banks can meet this demand, but when they will do so. Meanwhile, there is continued acceleration of crypto adoption, driven by portfolio diversification, demand for institutional-grade products, and international wealth planning, despite near-term macroeconomic uncertainty. 

“APAC is rapidly becoming one of the world’s fastest growing and most important digital asset gateways, and we expect this momentum to strengthen further into 2026.”

–Gerald Goh, Co-founder of Sygnum and CEO of APAC

The report further showed that nearly 48% of the surveyed respondents have a strong interest in multi-asset index products, while about 41% are interested in XRP. These figures emphasize APAC’s preference for regulated, yield-bearing investment vehicles that can easily integrate with traditional financial systems.

Schweiger agrees APAC’s HNWIs embrace crypto for wealth creation 

The report author and Sygnum’s crypto asset ecosystem research lead, Lucas Schweiger, stated that HNWIs in the wider APAC region are increasingly embracing crypto as a legitimate opportunity for wealth creation and preservation. He believes that their integrational and disciplined approach to crypto investments is driving the substantial allocations to crypto. He further noted that Singapore’s MAS framework provides investors with the expected institutional-grade safeguards.

Meanwhile, although over 60% of the respondents confirmed plans to increase allocations, many investors said they are timing their entries cautiously due to recent market corrections. However, the report also highlighted regulatory uncertainty, differing regional licensing frameworks, and concerns over security and custody as key barriers to increased participation in the crypto space. 

The Sygnum APAC HNWI Report 2025 also revealed that over 95% of the surveyed respondents are independent market participants across 10 Asia-Pacific markets, including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, and Indonesia. Over 50% of the respondents reported having more than 10 years of experience in crypto investments, with approximately 20% of the group claiming over 20 years of experience. 

Get up to $30,050 in trading rewards when you join Bybit today