Fidelity Investments, one of the largest asset managers with more than $2.5 trillion in assets under management (AUM), and boasting 30 million clients under its umbrella, conducted a survey of its 441 investors.
The survey was regarding investors' opinion of digital assets. Remember, Fidelity Investments, like all mutual funds deals primarily in traditional assets.
It showed that out of all respondents questioned from November 2018 to February 2019:
- 72% prefer to buy investment products that hold digital assets
- 57% choose to buy them directly
- 47% of respondents said digital assets are worth investing in
- 47% said they appreciate crypto for being innovative
- 46% like the low correlation between cryptocurrencies and other asset classes
- 22% already have some exposure to digital assets
However, the usual concerns were brought up, including custodial services, vulnerability to hacking and misplaced private keys, volatility, lack of regulatory compliance and the inability in using fundamentals to determine the price of digital assets.
It is wise to note that a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments - Fidelity Digital Asset - has been established for some time now. It touts itself as the "Institutional solutions for a new asset class".
2018 saw the price of all cryptocurrencies plummet, and only those projects with solid teams, use cases and treasury management manage to tide it through. Those that relied on hype and over-promise quickly showed their true colors, fading into oblivion. Only through the "worst of times" that we saw the maturation of interest and understanding in digital assets from early adopters, like crypto hedge funds, to traditional investors, common and institutional alike.
More institutional investors - family offices and endowments - are engaging with digital assets, as the vast potential of blockchain technology becomes more readily apparent. Even giants in their respected fields, such as IBM, E&Y, Accenture, Microsoft, Amzaon, banks, etc. have invested millions to develop this technology for the last 2-3 years.
The high transaction activity on the Bitcoin blockchain has also shown the re-newed interest in this ecosystem. This has been steadily increasing for the past year, and it is now just slightly off the peak recorded in December 2017.
Yet another indication of this growing ecosystem around digital assets comes in the form of the global regulatory environment turning more constructive, with the central banks of developed nations utilitzing their own blockchain platforms as test-beds for crucial services.
All in all, an extremely positive sign for yet greater adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies as a new investment asset class. I dare say Sky's the limit!