Ripple Survey: 72% of Finance Leaders Say Digital Assets Are Essential

Ripple has published the results of its major 2026 survey involving over 1,000 finance leaders worldwide. The key takeaway: digital assets have evolved from speculative experiments into strategic tools, and firms that ignore them risk falling behind their competitors.

Stablecoins as a Treasury Tool

One of the survey's most striking findings concerns stablecoins. 74% of respondents said stablecoins, including USDT, can improve cash-flow efficiency and unlock working capital. This represents a fundamental shift: corporations no longer view stablecoins merely as a means of transferring funds — they are becoming full-fledged treasury management instruments.

Being pegged to fiat currencies, particularly the U.S. dollar, reduces volatility risks and makes stablecoins appealing to conservative finance departments. This explains why 31% of fintech companies already accept stablecoin payments, while 29% work with them directly in day-to-day operations.

Fintechs Lead in Adoption

According to the study, fintech companies are outpacing banks and asset managers in digital asset integration. 47% of fintechs plan to build proprietary digital asset solutions, signaling a desire to control the entire technology stack rather than relying on external providers.

Traditional banks and asset managers, meanwhile, are taking a different approach. 82% of banks exploring tokenization prioritize token lifecycle management, while 80% of asset managers focus on primary distribution. This divergence reflects each sector's nature: fintechs seek flexibility, while banks prioritize control and regulatory compliance.

Security and Custody — Top Priority

Security concerns dominate the institutional agenda. 89% of organizations exploring tokenization named secure storage and custody solutions as the most critical factor. Major financial players are unwilling to move billions into digital assets without robust safeguards in place.

97% of respondents emphasized the critical importance of security certifications — particularly ISO and SOC 2 — when choosing a digital asset partner. Additionally, 85% of banks require advisory support before issuing their own digital assets.

Key Barriers to Adoption

Despite growing enthusiasm, survey participants identified four main barriers: lack of regulatory clarity (40%), security and safekeeping concerns (37%), compliance requirements (30%), and price volatility (29%). These findings align with a recent Coinbase survey where 73% of institutional investors also expressed plans to increase their crypto portfolios, provided regulatory conditions improve.

Notably, 71% of corporate respondents prefer a single provider capable of delivering a full range of services — from custody to token management. This suggests the market is moving toward consolidation around a handful of major players that can offer comprehensive infrastructure.

What This Means for the Market

Ripple's study marks a turning point: digital assets have moved from the "interesting experiment" category to "strategic necessity." When 74% of finance leaders recognize stablecoins as a cash-flow optimization tool, it sends a clear signal to the entire industry.

These trends are equally relevant for the Ukrainian crypto market: growing institutional interest in stablecoins drives demand at the local level as well. Those planning to sell USDT for hryvnia or vice versa should note that the global shift toward stablecoins is only strengthening.