In their early years, cryptocurrencies used to be assets of retail traders and tech-savvy individuals' interests. Starting in 2018 and continuing with renewed vigor in 2021, institutional investment in crypto reached the tipping point. Now we can see such tech giants as MicroStrategy and Tesla, banks as JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, etc. integrating crypto assets in their processes one or another way. In this article, we will see what motivates
institutional crypto adoption, talking about players in different sectors: financial, tech, and investment companies.
Motivations for Financial Institutions
These are banks and asset management firms that buy crypto, largely Bitcoin, motivated by the following factors:
- Diversification of their portfolios by adding BTC as an alternative asset class that can provide sizeable returns due to its volatility.
- Client demand. Today many people strive to own crypto, so many banks add crypto trading desks or custody institutional services for their clients. It helps meet client demand and retain customers.
- Hedging against inflation. Some companies see Bitcoin as a possible hedging tool against the inflation of traditional currencies.
Tech Companies’ Motivations
These are companies involved in payment processing that show interest in Bitcoin and are motivated by:
- Fast and secure payments. Blockchain technology enables seamless payment processing and peer-to-peer transfers, recognized by tech companies as an efficient and cost-efficient method to transact.
- Innovation. There’s no tech company that would not strive to stay at the forefront of new trends and technologies. By incorporating Bitcoin payments, they can position themselves as top innovative companies.
Investment Companies’s Motivations
These are hedge funds and investment firms that buy BTC through an institutional cryptocurrency platform, motivated by:
- Potential high returns. Investment firms are drawn to Bitcoin's historical price performance and volatility, seeing it as a speculative opportunity for potentially high returns with proper management.
- Diversification. Investment firms add Bitcoin to diversify their portfolios and thus reduce the risks by buying a different asset class.
- Inflation hedge. Many companies see BTC as a hedge against inflation and an asset that can preserve its value long-term, which is why it is often called “digital gold”.
Conclusion
The landscape of crypto investment has made a huge leap from the domain of retail traders to the of institutional players. Well-known names such as MicroStrategy, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Tesla have adopted crypto assets. The motivations driving institutional adoption vary across sectors and generally include diversification, high-return opportunities, hedging, innovations, smooth and cheap payments, and meeting the needs of crypto-oriented clients.