Bitwise: Advisors shift focus toward stablecoins and tokenisation
Top line
Financial advisors are increasingly pivoting toward stablecoins and asset tokenization over Bitcoin, supported by new regulatory frameworks and institutional payment adoption.
Summary
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan reports a notable shift in institutional focus among financial advisors, who are increasingly prioritizing stablecoins and tokenized assets over Bitcoin. Based on recent consultations with over 40 advisors and supported by data from Artemis showing record-high mentions of stablecoins in corporate filings during Q1 2026, the trend appears driven by both utility and regulatory clarity. The 2025 GENIUS Act, which enables brokers to treat payment stablecoins similarly to cash, and ongoing institutional adoption of stablecoins for payments are key factors. Hougan suggests this shift could provide significant capital flows into blockchains like Ethereum and Solana, as well as stablecoin-linked companies, representing a new phase of market adoption.
Highlights
- Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise, observed a shift in focus among financial advisors from Bitcoin to stablecoins and tokenization.
- The observation is based on feedback from over 40 financial advisors during a record-high volume of sales calls.
- Artemis data indicates that mentions of stablecoins in SEC and investor presentations hit a record high of approximately 1,000 in Q1 2026.
- Advisors are reportedly less interested in Bitcoin's inflation-hedge narrative as gold prices remain below historic highs.
- Increased mainstream visibility of stablecoins, spurred by comments from SEC Chair Paul Atkins and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, is driving interest.
- Hougan predicts this shift could lead to capital inflows favoring Ethereum, Solana, and companies like Circle and Coinbase.
- Regulatory support, specifically the 2025 GENIUS Act, allows brokers to apply a 2% capital haircut to payment stablecoins, treating them similarly to cash.
- A March 2025 Fireblocks survey found that 49% of financial institutions are already utilizing stablecoins for payment purposes.
- Investment advisors managing over $175 trillion in assets are identified as a critical demographic that could influence the market trajectory through 2026.
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