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Report: 89% of Banks Budget for Digital Asset Infrastructure in 2026, but Only 16% Are Live
Most banks say they are investing in digital assets in 2026, yet only a small minority have moved beyond pilots.
That gap is at the center of a new Fireblocks report, "Financial Grid: Banking, Digital Assets, And The Infrastructure Decisions Defining 2026," based on a global survey of 638 C-suite executives and decision-makers across financial institutions and corporations. The research was conducted by The Value Exchange in January 2026 across North America, Europe, Latin America, APAC, and the Middle East and Africa.
According to the survey, 88–89% of institutions have either committed, or plan to commit, budget to digital asset infrastructure this year, while 11% are deferring spending to 2027. Deployment is lagging: only 16% report having production systems live, with most still in planning, pilot, or proof-of-concept stages.
Spending levels are meaningful. About 53% of respondents say they are allocating $1 million or more in 2026 toward production-scale digital asset initiatives. Leadership is also concentrated at the top, with C-suite executives directly driving blockchain and digital asset programs at 55% of surveyed institutions. Financial infrastructure transformation was cited as the leading motivation in 50% of responses.
Competitive pressure is coming less from traditional peers and more from fintech. Some 43% of respondents said fintech firms and payment service providers are the primary threat shaping their blockchain and digital asset strategies. Reflecting that dynamic, payment solutions ranked among the most prioritized use cases, alongside tokenized securities. On the asset side, institutions are focusing on stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and tokenized securities.
The report also highlights a shift in how banks view regulation. A total of 96% of respondents expect upcoming regulatory frameworks—including Europe's MiCA and evolving U.S. guidance—to be favorable or very favorable for digital asset adoption. MiCA, now fully in effect in the European Union, establishes a broad framework for crypto-asset markets, stablecoin issuance, and licensing of service providers. In the U.S., regulators have been issuing clearer guidance under a more crypto-receptive political backdrop, outlining pathways for banks to custody, trade, and offer digital asset products.