Family offices are showing growing confidence in cryptocurrencies and digital assets, but regulatory complexity continues to hold back broader adoption, according to new research from Ocorian.
The survey, which gathered responses from family members and senior executives overseeing a combined $119.37 billion in wealth, found that 86% of family offices now include crypto or other digital assets in their investment strategies. While interest in the sector is strong, many firms say compliance and reporting obligations remain significant obstacles.
Around 70% of respondents looking to invest in digital assets said they struggle to find specialist third-party providers that can help manage the regulatory and reporting requirements associated with crypto investments. Only 30% reported no such difficulties.
These challenges reflect a wider compliance burden facing family offices. Just 8% of respondents believe they are exceptionally well prepared to meet increasingly complex global regulatory standards. Most (74%) consider themselves reasonably equipped to adapt to changing rules, while 18% rated their preparedness as average.
Despite ongoing regulatory hurdles, digital assets have become increasingly accepted within mainstream finance, supported by greater involvement from banks and institutional investors. Although bitcoin has experienced sharp price swings over the past year, its longer-term performance continues to attract investor attention.
The research was conducted by independent research firm PureProfile on behalf of Ocorian in February. It surveyed 200 professionals working in the family office sector across the UK, US, UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius and Bahrain.
