Institutions Buy Crypto Rails, Not Speculative Tokens

Institutional capital is flowing into digital markets, but not toward speculative altcoins. A recent digital summit panel of executives from exchanges, infrastructure and tokenization platforms said investors are targeting tokenization, custody and on-chain infrastructure rather than chasing price swings.

Maria Adamjee of Polygon said institutions no longer debate whether crypto belongs in portfolios; the question now is how to size it. Large asset managers are seeking "operating exposure" through tokenization, custody and on-chain settlement, taking access to the rails instead of balance-sheet risk on volatile tokens.

Jeremy Ng of OpenEden argued tokenized real-world assets offer the clearest institutional case, cutting costs by replacing transfer agents and fund administrators with a proof-of-record layer. He pointed to growing hedge fund participation and plans to increase exposure in 2026, while warning that most tokens lack clear revenue or fee generation.

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