High-net-worth investors surveyed by HSBC now allocate an average of 6% of their portfolios to crypto assets, down 1 percentage point from 2025, according to the bank’s Affluent Investor Snapshot 2026 released on July 28. Even so, 45% of respondents said they plan to raise their crypto exposure over the next 12 months.
The report covered nearly 10,000 affluent investors worldwide. Its headline finding was not only the drop to 6%, but the fact that planned positioning remains tilted toward holding or adding rather than cutting back.
Lower portfolio share, but not a collapse in appetite
HSBC said 45% of respondents intend to increase their crypto allocation over the coming year, while 40% plan no change. That puts 85% of the sample in the hold-or-add camp. Another 15% said they expect to reduce their crypto weighting.
In the report’s framing, the lower average allocation does not necessarily point to investors exiting the sector. Instead, it reflects the fact that other asset classes, including equities, gold and alternatives, took up a larger share of portfolios and diluted crypto’s relative weighting.
Cash falls to 19% as money moves elsewhere
HSBC said cash allocations among affluent investors fell to 19%. The report identified three main destinations for that capital:
- Equities: the report said U.S. stocks remained steady in 2026, with AI and technology names attracting significant allocations.
- Gold: HSBC pointed to its March launch of HSBC Gold Token as an example of how tokenized gold is becoming a vehicle for capital flows.
- Alternative investments: this category includes private equity, real estate funds and crypto assets.
Southeast Asia held steady
The report singled out Singapore and Malaysia, where crypto allocation among affluent investors stood at 5% and 6%, respectively. Both figures were unchanged from the previous year.
As presented in the report, that suggests allocation levels in those markets stayed resilient despite market volatility. The article also noted that Taiwan’s affluent investors were not included in this survey sample.
From 12% to 6% in two years
HSBC’s 2024 survey had shown average crypto allocation among affluent investors at 12%. By 2026, that figure had dropped to 6%, cutting the share in half over two years.
The article described that move as a normalization from the elevated levels seen during the pandemic period. It also said the drop does not necessarily amount to a negative signal and may instead reflect profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing after prices rose.
How the 6% figure was measured
The methodology matters. HSBC asked investors what percentage of their portfolios was allocated to crypto assets, rather than whether they owned crypto at all. That means the 6% average should not be read as a direct measure of ownership, especially since many respondents still reported a 0% crypto allocation.
HSBC’s broader digital-asset push
The article linked the survey’s findings to HSBC’s own digital-asset activity in recent years. It referenced the bank’s HSBC Gold Token product and said tokenized deposits were brought onto the public blockchain Canton Network in April 2026.
In that reading, crypto is becoming less of a purely speculative sleeve in affluent portfolios and more of a standing structural allocation, modest in size but still present.