BeInCrypto Institutional Research: These 15 Companies Are Driving the Adoption of Digital Assets
Published on May 5, 2026, 23:46 CET by Ananda Banerjee, edited by Mohammad Shahid
The integration of digital assets is rapidly progressing across various sectors including banking, asset management, custody services, tokenization platforms, and crypto-native institutional entities. Recognizing this momentum, BeInCrypto Institutional Research has identified 15 leading firms contributing significantly to the advancement and mainstream adoption of digital assets.
Overview of the BeInCrypto Institutional 100: Digital Asset Adoption Category
This identification is part of the prestigious annual BeInCrypto Institutional 100 awards program, which honors institutions in the digital asset space across 26 categories organized within six pillars. The category of Digital Asset Adoption & Use Cases, under Pillar 3, highlights institutions that have launched innovative products, invested capital, built infrastructure, or emitted strong market signals between April 2025 and March 2026. From an initial pool of over 30 institutions, 15 companies were shortlisted on the longlist. The evaluation was based on quantitative data (30%), assessments from an expert council (50%), and publicly available corporate data (20%). Judging criteria focused on strategic engagement, launched products, capital deployment, organizational investments, market signals, and future growth potential.
The shortlist will be announced in May 2026, with the winner unveiled during the Proof of Talk conference in Paris on June 2 and 3, 2026. ### The Longlist: 15 Pioneers in Digital Asset Adoption
The firms selected operate across multiple domains such as banking-led tokenization, asset management, crypto custody, tokenized funds, stablecoins, and institutional crypto platforms. Key geographical hubs are New York, London, Singapore, Paris, and Seychelles. Below is a breakdown of these institutions and their notable activities:
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JPMorgan Chase (New York, USA)
With $4 trillion in assets, JPMorgan operates the JPMD USD stablecoin on the Base blockchain and is regulated as a national bank by the OCC. It has progressed with private banking partnerships and recently appointed Oliver Harris to lead Kinexys. -
BlackRock (New York, USA)
Managing $12.5 trillion in assets under management (AUM), BlackRock launched the institutional Bitcoin fund IBIT holding over 800,000 BTC and tokenized money market fund BUIDL worth approximately $2.85 billion. Its ETHB (staked Ether ETF) debuted in March 2026. 3. Goldman Sachs (New York, USA)
The firm’s tokenization platform GS DAP operates on the Canton DLT and is SEC- and FINRA-registered. It launched an institutional money market fund platform in partnership with BNY Mellon and plans a spinout to lead the sector. -
BNY Mellon (New York, USA)
Custodian for $55.8 trillion in client assets, BNY Mellon provides live custody for Bitcoin and Ether, acts as co-custodian for Morgan Stanley’s MSBT, and serves as cash custodian and administrator for the IBIT fund. -
Fidelity Investments (Boston, USA)
Fidelity, with $15 trillion assets under administration, holds OCC conditional national trust bank status and offers live products FBTC and FETH. Future plans include stablecoin issuance and staking services. -
Morgan Stanley (New York, USA)
The wealth management giant with $5.5 trillion assets has its MSBT Bitcoin trust listed on NYSE Arca and is awaiting OCC charter approval. Additionally, it launched Franklin Crypto with more than 250 digital deals. -
Standard Chartered (London, UK)
Managing $900 billion in assets, Standard Chartered provides custody services in Luxembourg and Hong Kong. It holds FCA and multinational licenses and is a candidate for a Hong Kong stablecoin license. -
KuCoin (Mahé, Seychelles)
Serving over 40 million users globally, KuCoin is MiCAR-CASP licensed in the EU and focusing on institutional custody integrations, including pilot projects for tokenized Real-World Asset (RWA) collateral. -
Citi (New York, USA)
With $2.4 trillion assets, Citi runs the Citi Token Services (CTS) platform integrated with 24/7 USD settlements and is an OCC-regulated bank pursuing tokenized deposit solutions. A pilot for Ether custody was recently completed. -
Franklin Templeton (San Mateo, USA)
Controlling $1.7 trillion AUM, Franklin Templeton offers tokenized funds such as BENJI/FOBXX (~$843 million) and has launched over 250 digital deals via Franklin Crypto. -
Nomura · Laser Digital (Tokyo / Zurich)
Nomura, with $650 billion AUM, spearheads regulated custody through its joint venture Komainu, active in jurisdictions like the UAE, Switzerland, and ADGM. It submitted an application to become a nationally chartered trust bank in January 2026. 12. HSBC (London, UK)
Managing assets exceeding $3 trillion, HSBC’s Orion platform has issued over $3.5 billion in digital securities. It operates the UK DIGIT pilot and holds a Hong Kong Monetary Authority stablecoin license. -
DBS (Singapore)
With $540 billion in assets, DBS significantly expanded trading volume on its digital exchange (DDEx) in 2025 and offers crypto-related options and ETF-linked notes. It is a MAS-recognized market operator. -
Société Générale · SG-FORGE (Paris, France)
Managing €1.4 trillion in assets, Société Générale has issued MiCA-compliant EUR- and USD-backed stablecoins and completed tokenized bond settlement pilots in cooperation with SWIFT. -
MEXC (Seychelles)
With over 40 million users, MEXC leads the tokenization of Real-World Assets (RWAs) including gold futures and has listed over 100 Ondo-tokenized stock pairs, reaching substantial global market share.
Methodology and Data Sources
The selection reflects a rigorous methodology blending quantitative financial data, expert assessments, and comprehensive review of regulatory filings and corporate disclosures. Data sources included SEC 13F filings, OCC trust bank approvals, MiCA-CASP licenses, FCA, FINMA, MAS, BaFin, and JFSA releases, audited financial statements, press releases, and private databases such as PitchBook, Tracxn, and Crunchbase.
Conclusion
This longlist underlines how traditional financial powerhouses alongside crypto-native platforms are converging to elevate digital asset adoption through practical product launches, strategic investments, and regulatory engagement. The BeInCrypto Institutional 100 awards aim to shine a spotlight on these integrating forces shaping the future of finance.
The upcoming Proof of Talk event in Paris will highlight the winner who exemplifies leadership in accelerating real-world adoption of digital asset technologies.
To stay updated with the latest institutional research and market analysis on cryptocurrencies from BeInCrypto, visit their official website.
Author: Ananda Banerjee
Editor: Mohammad Shahid
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