Crypto Has Gone Mainstream — and Investors Are Walking Away from Advisors Who Haven’t

In 2025, crypto has emerged as a mainstream portfolio component. However, many advisors are still lagging behind, and it is already hurting their business. 

According to a recent survey, 35% US investors say they have moved away from advisers who do not provide exposure to cryptocurrencies.

The Growing Divide Between Crypto Investors and Advisors

Zero Hash’s “Crypto and the Future of Wealth” study draws on responses from 500 US investors aged between 18 and 40. The household incomes range from $100,000 to more than $1 million.

The report revealed that 61% of US investors aged 18–40 now hold digital assets. Among them, 43% allocate 5–10% of their portfolios to crypto. In addition, 27% allocate 11–20%, and 11% hold more than 20%. 

This makes crypto as common in young portfolios as real estate and far more common than hedge funds, art, or collectibles. Yet the report also reveals a widening gap between investor expectations and what traditional wealth managers currently provide.

Despite the rapid rise in adoption, 76% of crypto investors buy and manage their digital assets independently, choosing to bypass financial advisors. This marks a major change in how younger generations approach wealth building, favoring self-directed methods over traditional guidance.

This gap is no longer an abstract concern. It is reshaping investor behavior in real time — with measurable financial consequences for advisory firms.

One of the study’s most notable findings is the scale of the asset outflow triggered by a lack of crypto support. 35% percent of investors have already moved money away from advisors who do not offer crypto exposure. 

And these aren’t symbolic account shifts: more than half of those who left transferred between $250,000 and $1 million. Among high-net-worth clients, the churn rate increases significantly, reaching 51%.

“51% of HNW clients have already moved money away because of limited crypto access (vs. 34% of Mass Affluent). And the dollars are bigger: many moved $500K-$1M+. Advisors aren’t just at risk of losing accounts, they’re at risk of losing some of their largest revenue relationships,” the report read.

Crypto exposure is no longer viewed as a speculative bonus but as a core part of diversified wealth building. The study notes that 71% of investors now allocate between 5% and 20% of their total portfolios to crypto assets. 

Engagement is rising at speed, with 84% planning to increase their crypto holdings within the next 12 months. Nearly half expect to increase those allocations “significantly.” This suggests that digital assets are becoming a long-term structural component of wealth portfolios.

At the same time, trust and security remain essential. Investors say they want the same standards in crypto that they expect from traditional wealth management. 

These include independent audits, transparent reporting, regulated custodians, and insured custody. The report finds that 63% would be more likely to invest in crypto through an advisor if the assets appeared in the same dashboard as their traditional investments. In other words, investors aren’t only asking for access — they want an integrated, compliant, and familiar experience.

Institutional momentum is reinforcing this shift. 82% of investors say moves by firms like BlackRock, Fidelity, Morgan Stanley, and Robinhood have increased their confidence in crypto’s permanence and suitability for advised portfolios.

“Crypto is now a core allocation. Investors, especially HNW, are allocating more and are not waiting for their private wealth managers to catch up. Advisors who deliver a seamless experience with institutional-grade transparency and custody will retain high-value clients, win new ones, and expand AUM,” Zero Hash stated.

The pressure is now on advisory firms to modernize their offerings or risk losing relevance — and assets — to platforms and advisors that do.