# Affluent U.S. Investors Rank Crypto First for Long-Term Performance

By Enna Lee

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/27497
Published: 2026-10-07T15:12:56.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-07T15:12:56.000Z
Section: Investing

> Crypto led expected long-term performance rankings in the United States at 40%, while digital-asset ownership reached 70% among U.S. respondents.

Affluent U.S. investors ranked crypto ahead of other listed financial assets for expected long-term performance, with 40% selecting the asset class in a survey spanning seven major markets.

The U.S. result rose 13 percentage points from the previous year. Crypto ranked first among financial assets in four of the seven markets surveyed, although the findings measured expectations rather than realized performance.

Researchers surveyed 2,230 people across seven countries—the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland—between May 11 and June 5, 2026. Participants had at least $500,000 in investable assets, excluding real estate. Half held between $500,000 and $999,999, while the rest had at least $1 million.

Digital assets were held by 70% of respondents in the United States, 70% in the United Kingdom and 70% in Germany. Ownership reached 69% in Switzerland, 66% in France, 58% in Italy and 54% in Sweden.

Bitcoin (BTC) was the most widely held digital asset, owned by an average of 80% of affluent digital-asset investors. In the United States, 87% held Bitcoin. Bitcoin-only portfolios represented 5% of U.S. digital-asset investors, indicating that most held assets beyond Bitcoin.

Ether (ETH) was held by 59% of digital-asset investors on average, while stablecoins were held by 57%. Long-term appreciation and portfolio diversification together accounted for 40% of investors’ primary motivations, compared with 9% for speculation.

At least 85% of current digital-asset investors in five markets said they were likely to increase their exposure in 2026. The figure reached 91% in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.

The survey used age and gender quotas and required respondents to have completed at least one investment transaction during the previous 12 months. The results also found that 88% of respondents lacked enough knowledge to invest in digital assets with full confidence.

The figures describe investor expectations, ownership and stated intentions. They do not show whether crypto or any specific asset delivered better performance than equities or real estate.