Crypto for Advisors: Crypto Access is Going Mainstream

Investor interest in cryptocurrency is on the rise. In this edition of the "Crypto for Advisors" newsletter, Sam Boboev breaks down the key stats and analyzes how new app integrations are shaping retail crypto portfolios

Then, Kevin Tam, digital asset research specialist, provides insights into crypto ETF trends, as seen in the recent SEC filings, in "Ask an Expert."

Thank you to our sponsor of this week’s newsletter, Grayscale Investments. For financial advisors near San Francisco, Grayscale is hosting Crypto Connect on Thursday, October 9. Learn more.

–S.M.

Mainstream at Last — How App Integrations Will Shape Retail Crypto Portfolios

In recent years, crypto has moved out of isolated exchanges and into mainstream finance. Major fintech platforms now offer native crypto access. For example, in 2025, Coinbase partnered with Samsung so that Samsung Pay users can fund crypto purchases in-app. Likewise, JPMorgan Chase announced customers will soon be able to link their Chase bank accounts (and even credit-card rewards) directly to Coinbase wallets. PayPal has taken its partnership with Coinbase a step further by deepening its integration around its new USD stablecoin: users can convert dollars to PYUSD$0.9999 on Coinbase with no platform fees, enabling millions of PayPal accounts to easily on-ramp to crypto. Each move shows that everyday payment and banking apps are weaving crypto into their services – making digital assets as easy to access as cash.

Samsung’s latest software update embodies this trend. Starting in mid-2025, eligible Coinbase users in the U.S. and Canada could use Samsung Pay directly within the Coinbase mobile app. In practice, this means funding a crypto purchase is as simple as tapping at a store checkout: Samsung Wallet (which bundles Samsung Pay) appears as a payment option for your Coinbase account.

On the banking side, JPMorgan Chase’s July 2025 announcement marked the first time a large bank directly linked customer accounts to a crypto exchange.

Bank introduced direct bank-to-wallet linking, rewards-to-crypto, and credit-card funding. These capabilities — all rolled out with enterprise-grade security — provide customers with multiple seamless pathways from their checking accounts and rewards into cryptocurrency.

Big payment platforms are racing in too. In April 2025, PayPal and Coinbase announced an expanded partnership centered on PYUSD$0.9999, PayPal’s dollar-backed stablecoin. Coinbase will let users buy, sell or redeem PYUSD at a 1:1 rate to USD with no exchange fee. In effect, a PayPal user can fund a crypto wallet or be paid in crypto-native USD without touching another fiat service.

These moves aren’t isolated. Data shows that retail crypto interest is rising. An EY-Parthenon survey (July 2024) found that 64% of retail investors already hold crypto or related digital assets, and 69% plan to increase their digital-asset investments over the next few years. Yet crypto still lags traditional investing: JPMorgan Institute analysis (Aug 2025) reports only about 17% of U.S. households have ever transferred money into crypto (2017–2025), compared to roughly one-third that have bought stocks or bonds in the same period. Adoption is strongly age-skewed: over 20% of Gen Z and Millennial households have invested in crypto, versus just 6% of Baby Boomer households.

Taken together, these data suggest that while crypto remains a niche asset for now, it is gaining a foothold — especially among younger and tech-savvy investors — as it becomes accessible through familiar channels. As fintech giants bring crypto on-ramps into phones and payment apps, many more retail clients will start treating crypto as “just another asset” in their portfolios.

For financial advisors, the message is clear. Crypto is no longer “some other market” but part of consumers’ everyday finances. According to the EY survey, 72% of digital-asset investors already view crypto as a key component of their wealth-building strategy. Advisors should expect clients to inquire about adding cryptocurrency, stablecoins, or on-chain dollars (such as PYUSD) to their portfolios – and they may require guidance on the amount and through which vehicles.

At the same time, risks remain. Crypto markets are volatile, and research shows that bitcoin’s price now tends to move in tandem with U.S. stocks. For example, CME Group found Bitcoin’s correlation to the S&P 500 has risen from near zero pre-2020 to roughly 0.3–0.4 in recent years (spiking during market stress). This means crypto can amplify portfolio swings in a crash rather than hedge them. Advisors will need to emphasize balanced allocations and ensure clients understand crypto’s boom-and-bust cycles.

- Sam Boboev, founder, Fintech Wrap Up

Ask an Expert

Q. Where were the largest sources of inflows in Q2 2025?

A. The most significant allocations came from Asia and the Middle East. Hong Kong investment firms contributed more than $1.24 billion combined in bitcoin ETFs. Avenir Group, a family office in HK, holds over $1.01 billion in bitcoin ETFs. While Al Warda Investments disclosed a $147 million position. Al Awada is owned by Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund.

Q. Who was the largest buyer in Canada?

A. Montreal-based Trans-Canada Capital, which manages Air Canada’s pension assets, disclosed an additional $161 million. This reflects growing institutional confidence in digital assets as a credible alternative investment.

Q. Are there any notable decreases or exits?

A. The State of Wisconsin Investment Board pension fund divested its full $321 million position, largely attributed to profit-taking and rebalancing into bitcoin treasury companies. Millennium Management trimmed back $950 million but remains the largest holder of spot ETF valued $2.4 billion.

For both corporations and institutional investors, digital assets are becoming strategic allocations, reshaping how capital is diversified and deployed.

Sources: SEC filings, Nasdaq, FactSet, Fintel

- Kevin Tam, digital asset research specialist

Keep Reading

• Google to implement AI to AI payments in collaboration with 60 organizations.
• Nasdaq filed with the U.S. SEC to introduce trading of tokenized securities.
• Openbank, the digital banking arm of Santander Group, introduced a cryptocurrency trading service for customers in Germany.