Are Institutions Entering Crypto? ETFs, Staking and Stablecoins

Are institutions entering crypto? ETFs, staking and stablecoins

Overview

Are institutional investors entering the crypto world, and how? In this MERGE Madrid panel, Orionx, Alphabet, Dragon Stake and Swissquote analyze institutional entry through ETFs and ISIN products, the role of staking and stablecoins, the impact of regulation (MiCA and the Genius Act) and what the market will look like in a few years.

What you'll learn

• Who is “institutional”?: banks, funds, corporates and a new generation
• The motivations: strategic differentiation, returns and decorrelation
• The role of ETFs: the “wrapper” that speaks the language of banking
• Self-custody vs delegated custody: two generations of investors
• Staking and indices: seeking yield and diversification beyond price
• Regulation and the future: stablecoins, 24/7 infrastructure and the coming years

Session summary

Yes, in diverse ways: the panel agrees that institutions (banks, fintechs, funds, corporates) are increasingly entering, especially since last year, with a “new generation” of institutions (funds, hedge funds, regulated brokers) leading the move.

Why now: Alphabet and Dragon Stake explain that interest existed, but the regulatory “rails” were missing; now MiCA and ETFs allow entry through products banking understands (ISIN), for strategic differentiation, returns and decorrelation.

Products and custody: Swissquote describes the evolution from spot and AMCs to ETFs, the growing demand for indices and the dilemma between self-custody (the self-custody generation) and delegated custody (preferred by institutions, who see custody as a risk to outsource).

Latin America: Orionx highlights that in the region the main driver has been stablecoins, remittances and cross-border payments rather than ETFs, and the exchange's role as a bridge (infrastructure as a service) between retail and institutional.

Staking, yield and the future: it notes the growing appetite for staking and “real yield” (with liquidity challenges in assets like Ethereum), and foresees a much more institutional market, with market infrastructure evolving toward a 24/7, global crypto model and stablecoins gaining weight in settlement (citing JP Morgan's tokenized deposit, according to the talk).

Watch the full talk

Watch the full recording on MERGE's YouTube channel, with Orionx, Alphabet, Dragon Stake and Swissquote on institutional entry into crypto.

FAQs

Are institutions entering crypto?
According to the panel, yes and in diverse ways (ETFs, ISIN products, spot, stablecoins), with growth accelerating every year.

Why were ETFs so important?
According to the talk, because they are a regulated “wrapper” with an ISIN that lets banks and traditional vehicles access the asset easily.

Why are institutions interested in staking?
According to the talk, because it offers yield (“real yield”) on assets that would otherwise sit idle, though with liquidity and regulatory challenges.

Is this investment advice?
No. This content is informational and summarizes what was presented in the panel; it does not constitute investment advice. Investing in crypto assets carries risks; consult a professional.