A recent survey released by Ripple indicates that digital assets are becoming a strategic necessity for financial institutions. According to the findings, 72% of more than 1,000 finance leaders worldwide believe that companies must integrate digital asset solutions in order to remain competitive.

The study gathered responses from a broad range of organizations, including banks, asset managers, fintech firms and corporations, focusing on areas such as adoption strategies, stablecoins, tokenization and custody. The results suggest that the industry is moving past the question of whether to adopt digital assets and is now focused on how to implement them, whether through internal development, partnerships or acquisitions.

Ripple noted that this shift is being driven by a combination of factors, including evolving regulatory frameworks, increasing involvement from major financial institutions, the expansion of fintech services and the growing role of stablecoins.

Stablecoins emerge as the leading use case

Among the various digital asset applications, stablecoins stood out as the most widely supported use case. The survey found that 74% of respondents believe stablecoins can improve cash flow efficiency and unlock capital that would otherwise remain tied up.

Respondents showed the strongest alignment around stablecoins. “That unanimity makes it clear that finance leaders are thinking about stablecoins as more than just a new way to execute payments,” Ripple said, adding that institutions increasingly view them as tools for treasury management.

The data also highlights differences in adoption strategies across sectors. Nearly half of fintech firms surveyed, around 47%, said they plan to develop their own digital asset solutions. In contrast, only 14% of corporate respondents expressed the same intention, while 74% of corporates indicated they prefer to collaborate with external providers.

Custody and security remain central priorities

The survey also revealed growing interest in tokenization, particularly among banks and asset managers, with a strong focus on custody solutions. Secure storage was identified as the top priority by 89% of respondents evaluating tokenization partners, followed by token lifecycle management at 82% and primary distribution at 80%.

Banks in particular showed a higher demand for advisory services, with 85% highlighting the importance of pre-issuance structuring, compared to 76% of asset managers. “This indicates that many institutions are seeking experienced partners to guide implementation alongside technology deployment,” Ripple said.

When selecting infrastructure providers, security standards emerged as a critical factor, with 97% of respondents emphasizing the importance of certifications such as ISO and SOC II. The overall findings reinforce the view that digital assets have moved beyond the experimental phase. “Most finance leaders aren’t debating digital assets anymore,” Ripple said in a post on X, adding: “They’re figuring out how to build with them and who to build with.”

Sources:

https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-survey-72-finance-leaders-digital-assets-key

https://ripple.com/insights/first-look-at-ripples-2026-digital-asset-survey/

https://x.com/Ripple/status/2034631586369466386