Endowments Slow to Adopt Digital Assets

Endowments Slow to Adopt Digital Assets

U.S Endowments are not jumping on the crypto bandwagon as quickly as other institutions.  Of the Endowment/Foundation respondents to Fidelity’s 2021 Institutional Investor Digital Assets Study, just 13% of U.S. endowments and foundations reported they do not currently buy or invest in digital assets.  Of the pension and endowment respondents, just 3% reported exposure. This lags HNW investors (15%), financial advisors (43%), and family offices (47%) in terms of exposure to digital investments.  Sixty one percent of Endowment/Foundation respondents surveyed stated they had a negative perception of digital assets.  Similar views were held by pension funds.  Fifty three percent of endowments surveyed indicated that digital assets should not have any role in a portfolio.  Volatility was noted as the greatest barrier to adoption by the institutions.  A copy of the survey can be downloaded at FidelityDigitalAssets.com.