The Future of Digital Asset Management

The future of digital asset management

Overview

Where is asset management heading in the era of digital assets? In this MERGE Madrid panel, Hashdex, Coinchange and 21Shares debate institutional adoption, the role of ETFs and active management, how to handle volatility and risk, the rise of stablecoins, regulation and where the center of the crypto world will be in the coming years.

What you'll learn

• Institutional adoption: how demand is evolving and why Brazil is ahead
• ETFs and indices: why index investing makes it easier for banks and advisors to enter
• Risk and volatility: why managing it requires being a professional investor
• Where opportunity remains: beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, in DeFi, AI and new launches
• Stablecoins: why they are seen as the “killer product” and their real use by region
• Regulation and hubs: Europe's dilemma (MiCA vs the Genius Act) and the future crypto hubs

Session summary

Institutional adoption: the panel discusses how, after the US ETFs, large investors are starting to come in; it notes that most capital has been retail and that Brazil is, according to the panel, one of the most advanced countries, with major banks offering crypto.

Volatility and risk: it argues that volatility is “everywhere” and that managing it —along with regulatory and legal risk— requires being a professional investor; it also discusses the role of retail and memecoins as a signal of liquidity.

Where opportunity remains: it argues there is no longer an information edge, but there is opportunity if you know where to look, in DeFi, AI, new launchpad platforms and community-driven launches.

Career risk: it suggests the “career risk” of holding crypto is reversing: it may now be riskier to stay out, although institutional adoption is still heavily concentrated in Bitcoin and, to a lesser extent, Ethereum.

Stablecoins: they are described as one of the most real and understandable use cases for institutions, with a lot of volume tied to trading and very different uses by region (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the Middle East).

Regulation and hubs: it criticizes the idea of “innovating through regulation” in Europe and the risk of falling behind the US; in a rapid round it debates the future crypto hubs (New York, Dubai, Miami) and shares price forecasts that are merely personal opinions and not reliable predictions.

Watch the full talk

Watch the full recording on MERGE's YouTube channel, with Hashdex, Coinchange and 21Shares on the future of digital asset management.

FAQs

Which country stands out in institutional adoption, according to the panel?
Brazil, where major banks already offer crypto products to their clients, ahead of much of Europe and the US.

Why do institutions like ETFs and indices?
Because they allow exposure to the market without having to analyze each asset, something banks and advisors are comfortable with.

Why are stablecoins seen as the “killer product”?
Because they are a real, easy-to-understand use case, with high volume (mostly trading) and very different uses by region.

Is this investment advice?
No. This content is informational and summarizes opinions expressed in the panel; the price forecasts are personal opinions and do not constitute investment advice. Consult a professional for your specific situation.