A Ripple survey published Thursday reports that 72% of more than 1,000 global finance leaders say companies must offer digital asset solutions to stay competitive. Stablecoins were the top use case identified: 74% of respondents said stablecoins can improve cash flow and unlock trapped capital.
The report surveyed roughly 1,000 finance firms worldwide — including banks, asset managers, fintechs and corporates — about adoption, stablecoins, tokenization and custody priorities. Its findings suggest many firms have moved past debating whether to engage with digital assets and are now focused on how to buy, build or partner to create the necessary infrastructure.
Ripple links this shift to evolving regulation, increasing interest from large banks, wider use of fintech services and the growing prominence of stablecoins.
Stablecoins lead digital asset use cases
Respondents expressed the strongest interest in stablecoins, which many institutions increasingly view as treasury management tools as well as payment rails. The survey also indicates fintechs are leading adoption: about 47% of fintech respondents plan to build their own digital asset solutions, compared with 14% of corporates. Meanwhile, 74% of corporates said they intend to work with external providers.
Custody and tokenization priorities among banks and asset managers
The report found rising interest in tokenization and a strong emphasis on custody. Among firms evaluating tokenization partners, 89% cited secure storage as a top concern; 82% prioritized token lifecycle management and 80% prioritized primary distribution. Banks showed particularly strong demand for advisory support: 85% flagged pre-issuance structuring as important versus 76% of asset managers.
When choosing infrastructure partners, security certifications such as ISO and SOC II were nearly universally important, noted by 97% of respondents.
Ripple summarized the results by saying digital assets are no longer optional for most finance leaders; institutions are now concentrating on how to build with digital assets and who to partner with.
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