Cryptocurrencies gain traction among institutional investors and daily users

Institutional interest in digital assets is rising, with professional investors increasingly viewing cryptocurrencies as a key asset class. According to a survey by Nickel Digital Asset Management, 67% of institutional and wealth management professionals rank cryptocurrencies among the top five asset classes for risk-adjusted returns over the next five years. This sentiment places digital assets ahead of traditional categories such as US equities (50%), European equities (44%), and commodities (35%).

Simultaneously, the utility of digital assets is shifting from pure investment to daily transactions, driven largely by stablecoins. Data from Binance indicates that global weekend stablecoin transfers average $76 billion, with daily volumes of approximately $38 billion—comparable to Visa’s daily average of roughly $40 billion.

In Latin America, this trend is particularly evident. Bitget Wallet reports a more than 700% increase in payments made via QR codes and cards since beginning regional operations in January. Argentina currently holds the highest average stablecoin balance in the region, surpassing Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, as users increasingly utilize these assets for both inflation protection and active daily transactions.