TLDR
- CoinShares surveyed 26 institutional investors managing a combined $1.3T in assets.
- Digital asset allocations remain near 1% despite stronger crypto sentiment.
- About 32% of surveyed fund managers already hold Bitcoin, while 25% hold Ether.
- Crypto investment products recorded $1.2B in inflows through April 27.
- Bitcoin faces realized price resistance near $88,880, $93,450 and $111,850.
Fund managers are showing renewed interest in digital assets, with Bitcoin remaining the preferred allocation choice, according to a new CoinShares survey of institutional investors.
The April survey collected responses from 26 institutional investors managing a combined $1.3 trillion in assets. CoinShares said digital asset allocations remain modest at about 1%, a level it described as typical entry sizing during a period when investors are still managing risk carefully.
Bitcoin had the strongest growth outlook among digital assets, according to the survey. Ether and Solana also recorded modest gains in investor sentiment compared with previous quarters.
CoinShares head of research James Butterfill said Bitcoin remains the digital asset with the most compelling growth outlook. Around 32% of respondents said they had already invested in Bitcoin, while 25% said they had allocated to Ether.
Bitcoin Leads Institutional Allocation Preferences
The survey showed that institutional investors continue to treat Bitcoin as the main entry point into crypto markets. Its larger market size, higher liquidity and growing exchange-traded fund access have kept it ahead of other digital assets in allocation decisions.
Ether ranked behind Bitcoin in investor preference. Its role in staking, decentralized finance and tokenized asset infrastructure continues to attract fund manager attention, although allocations remain smaller than Bitcoin exposure.
Solana also showed stronger sentiment compared with earlier surveys. Fund managers appear to be watching high-throughput blockchain networks as interest grows in payments, decentralized applications and blockchain-based consumer platforms.
CoinShares said some investors are moving away from older altcoins and toward newer decentralized finance protocols and emerging blockchain sectors. The shift suggests institutions are becoming more selective rather than treating crypto as a single broad asset class.
ETF Inflows Support Digital Asset Demand
The survey results match recent fund flow data showing renewed demand for crypto investment products. CoinShares reported that digital asset investment products attracted $1.2 billion in inflows through April 27.
That marked the fourth straight week of gains and brought total inflows over the period to $3.9 billion. Bitcoin products led the activity, showing that fund managers still view BTC as the most established digital asset exposure.
The momentum continued into early May. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $1 billion in net inflows during the week as Bitcoin moved back above $80,000, according to SoSoValue data cited by market reports.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs have played a major role in institutional adoption since launching in the United States in January 2024. The funds give investors regulated Bitcoin exposure without requiring direct custody, private key management or crypto exchange accounts.
A separate survey by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon found that 73% of institutional investors plan to increase digital asset exposure this year. Most respondents in that survey also expected crypto prices to rise over the next 12 months.
Bitcoin Price Faces Realized Price Resistance
Bitcoin traded near $80,870 today as analysts watched whether the market could confirm a bottom after months of pressure. On-chain data showed several realized price levels above the current market price.
Market analyst IT Tech said holders who bought Bitcoin over the past three to six months have a realized price near $88,880. That level is being watched as the first major resistance zone for BTC.
Another group of holders, from the 12-month to 18-month range, has a realized price near $93,450. A larger pressure zone sits near $111,850 for investors who bought between six and 12 months ago.
Source: X
These realized price levels are important because some investors may sell when Bitcoin returns to their average entry price. That can create supply during market recoveries and slow upward movement.
IT Tech said Bitcoin would need to reclaim and hold above $88,880 before a stronger bottom signal can be confirmed. A brief move above that level would not be enough for many traders watching market structure.
Some chart analysts have taken a more constructive view. Trader CW said Bitcoin completed a retest after breaking out from a convergence pattern, a structure that has appeared before earlier recovery phases.
Internal restrictions and regulatory uncertainty remain the main barriers to wider institutional adoption, according to CoinShares. Even with better sentiment, many fund managers are still waiting for clearer policies, stronger custody processes and more approved investment products before increasing allocations.
