A new study from CoinShares suggests that affluent German investors have embraced digital assets more decisively than many of their European peers, with high levels of risk tolerance and conviction in Bitcoin as a long-term holding.
The "2026 Affluent Investor Crypto Report" found that 70 percent of wealthy German investors already hold digital assets, and among those already invested, 91 percent plan to expand their crypto positions in 2026. The findings are drawn from a survey of 2,230 affluent investors across Germany, the USA, the UK, France, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland, each required to hold a minimum of $500,000 in investable assets to qualify. Germany accounted for 305 of the respondents.
Bitcoin remains the dominant asset within these portfolios: 81 percent of crypto-holding investors across the survey hold Bitcoin, and 80 percent of German respondents specifically view it as a reliable long-term store of value. German participants also reported notably high comfort with the asset class's volatility, with 82 percent saying they are comfortable with the risks associated with digital assets.
Growth over speculation
The motivations behind these allocations point away from short-term speculation. Among German crypto investors, 38 percent cited long-term capital growth and diversification as their main reason for holding digital assets, compared with 20 percent who pointed to speculative reasons.
Age appears to shape the scale of exposure more than the decision to invest at all. German investors aged 18 to 44 allocate an average of 12 percent of their portfolios to digital assets, versus 8 percent for those aged 45 and above.
Appetite for professional guidance is also notable: 69 percent of respondents said they would be open to working with a wealth manager who has crypto expertise. Yet a substantial share of those who already have such advisors feel underserved on the risk side, with 37 percent saying their advisor's approach is too cautious.
The shift toward regulated products
Nico Mund, DACH spokesperson for CoinShares, pointed to a broader shift in how affluent investors are gaining exposure to the asset class. "In recent years, security and easy access have become significantly more important for investors. That's why we are seeing a shift towards regulated crypto ETPs," Mund said.
He added that such products remove some of the operational burden associated with holding crypto directly. "They enable investors to maintain the desired crypto exposure without having to take on many of the operational and security-related risks of self-custody, such as managing private keys or the secure storage of assets."
According to Mund, this structure allows investors to retain control over their strategy while working within established regulatory frameworks. "They can make their investment decisions independently and at the same time invest in crypto through a regulated, secure and easily implementable product."
