Ripple on Thursday released findings from a global survey of more than 1,000 finance leaders, and concluded that the “digital asset revolution is happening now.” The study, conducted at the start of 2026 and spanning banks, asset managers, fintechs, and corporate treasuries, finds strong momentum behind crypto adoption with stablecoins and tokenization emerging as leading use cases. Ripple Finds Fintechs Driving Crypto Use According to Ripple, 72% of respondents believe finance leaders must offer a digital asset solution to remain competitive. Among specific applications, stablecoins drew the most enthusiasm. 74% of participants said stablecoins can improve cash‑flow efficiency and unlock trapped working capital in addition to enabling faster settlement—benefits firms see as competitive differentiators. Fintech firms in the sample stand out as the early adopters and innovators. Ripple’s survey shows fintechs are more likely than banks or corporates to already use digital assets in treasury and payments, and to roll out customer‑facing crypto wallets. Notably, 31% of fintech respondents said they use stablecoins to collect payments for customers, and 29% accept payments directly in stablecoins. A comparable share relies on third‑party custodians or infrastructure providers to secure assets. Fintechs are also more inclined to build proprietary solutions —47% prefer in‑house development—while most corporates (74%) expect to partner with external providers for implementation. Shift Toward Tokenized Assets And Stablecoins The survey further shows that interest in tokenizing financial assets is rising among banks and asset managers, and that most institutions evaluating tokenization strategies prioritize custody solutions. Of those assessing tokenization partners, 89% ranked digital asset storage and custody as a top priority. Token servicing and lifecycle management are also highly valued by banks (82%), while asset managers place strong emphasis on primary distribution (80%). Advisory services matter as well: 85% of banks cited pre‑issuance structuring consultancy as important, compared with 76% of asset managers. When choosing partners, respondents prioritized regulatory clarity (40%), security and safekeeping (37%), compliance capabilities (30%), and price volatility management (29%). Security certifications and operational support emerged as near‑universal requirements. Ripple reports that 97% of participants regard certifications such as ISO and SOC II as important or very important. Responsive post‑integration technical support also ranks very high at 88%, reflecting institutions’ operational expectations. Deep industry experience (80%) and financial strength (79%) are additional decisive factors for buyers vetting infrastructure partners. The survey also highlights a practical preference among institutions exploring stablecoin collections or payments: 57% said they want a partner that offers integrated custody, orchestration, and compliance so the institution itself can avoid holding stablecoin balances. Ripple framed the results as an early glimpse into broader market alignment around digital assets. “This early preview of Ripple’s 2026 survey reveals a market moving with greater alignment and intention,” the company said. While Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) both saw 3% drops over the same period, XRP, the cryptocurrency linked to Ripple, was trading at $1.43 at the time of writing, showing a minor 0.7% retracement over the 24-hour period. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
