ETF investors lack interest in crypto, report finds?

Of course, a lot has happened since the 600+ survey respondents shared their thoughts between Aug. 15 and Oct. 1

article-image

Siberian Art/Shutterstock and Adobe modified by Blockworks

share


This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.


I was slightly perplexed by the findings of a new ETF survey that mentions crypto sentiment. Then I read the fine print.

Retail investors are least interested in crypto and ESG ETFs in the next six months, ETF.com’s 2024 global investor survey found. Crypto-related stats in the report, published today, include:

  • Between 70% and 80% of investors didn’t have any positions in leveraged, inverse, and cryptocurrency ETFs.
  • “Only” 10% of advisers increased exposure to crypto over the past six months.
  • Just 7.4% of investors ranked cryptocurrency as one of the top five sectors they want to invest in over the next six months.

Gavin Filmore, chief revenue officer at Tidal Financial Group, is quoted as calling that last finding “a shocker” — citing possible “crypto fatigue” among the “overexposed” younger generation.

Given bitcoin’s latest run, I found this surprising. But then it started to make sense as I scrolled down to the methodology. The more than 600 respondents shared their thoughts between Aug. 15 and Oct. 1.

Of course, a lot has happened since then. Donald Trump and a slew of crypto-friendly Congressional candidates notched wins last week and bitcoin just hit a new high at nearly $90,000. 

Then there’s the latest interest in US spot bitcoin ETFs, which tallied $1.1 billion of net inflows on their 10th monthiversary yesterday — making that $3.4 billion in the four trading days since the election). 

Loading Tweet..

Perhaps ironically, the survey is sponsored by Vanguard — an asset management giant that has said crypto doesn’t belong in “a well-balanced, long-term investment portfolio.”

I’m curious to see whether Vanguard’s thoughts about the asset class change in the coming months. And how the answers to similar survey questions shift once post-election sentiment is captured. 


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

recent research

Research Report Templates (19).png

Research

Suilend has grown into the top money market and liquid staking provider on Sui. STEAMM, Suilend’s Superfluid AMM, presents a compelling avenue for growing market share within Sui’s DEX landscape and revenue generation for the protocol. Suilend’s multi-product suite position it well for owning market share across key verticals. While current metrics across the Sui ecosystem are likely inflated due to Sui Foundation incentive programs, SEND trades at amongst the lowest multiples in the lend/borrow sector, suggesting that a bull case for continued growth in the ecosystem may be mispriced.

article-image

A Blockworks Research report looked at who could take up some of the marketshare in the launchpad space

article-image

Business-to-business stablecoin payments are on the rise, per a report from Artemis, Dragonfly and Castle Island

article-image

Crypto continues to do its thing: incentivizing behavior

article-image

Kraken will soon offer Backed ‘xStocks’ as Solana tokens

article-image

In a unanimous decision, the US Court of International Trade has ruled that Trump’s IEEPA tariffs are unlawful

article-image

The platform has over $22 million in assets and allows anyone to invest in tokenized real estate