Institutional interest in crypto is shifting, with $XRPand tokenization now emerging as key talking points among professional investors.

Bitwise Head of Research, Ryan Rasmussen, confirmed this on the Milk Road podcast. He revealed that recent meetings with over 700 financial professionals, including advisors, lawyers, and planners, showed an obvious shift in sentiment.

Engagement levels are now significantly higher than usual, with questions tripling compared to past sessions.

Key Points

$XRPand Tokenization Enter Institutional Conversations

Rather than questioning crypto’s legitimacy, investors are now focusing on more practical topics. Rasmussen noted that $XRPand tokenization are among the recurring themes in these discussions.

According to him, institutions are no longer asking whether crypto has value. Instead, they are trying to understand where value will accrue as the industry expands, whether in assets like $XRP, infrastructure platforms, or emerging tokenization networks.

From Skepticism to Strategic Allocation

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan described the current environment as “night and day” compared to previous market cycles.

He pointed out that institutional engagement today is far stronger than during past downturns, such as after the FTX collapse or the 2018 bear market, when interest in crypto sharply declined.

Now, major financial institutions are actively building in the space. Hougan highlighted that firms like Goldman Sachs are expanding their efforts around tokenization and stablecoins, signaling a long-term commitment from Wall Street.

Regulation Still a Key Trigger

Despite rising interest, regulation remains a central concern. Hougan emphasized that clearer regulatory frameworks, such as the proposed “Clarity Act,” could remove lingering doubts that slow institutional allocation. Eliminating these uncertainties, he said, would accelerate capital inflows into crypto markets.

Meanwhile, the U.S. SEC and the CFTC are already making significant progress toward regulatory clarity. Last week, the two regulators released a framework defining the categories that various assets fall into.

Interestingly, leading assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and $XRPwere under the digital commodity category, as they derive their value from utility within their respective networks.

Which Network Will Benefit?

Meanwhile, Rasmussen added that the conversation is evolving into a much bigger question: if tokenization grows into a multi-trillion-dollar market, which networks will capture that value?

Many are evaluating assets like $XRP, Ethereum, and Solana, alongside other blockchain ecosystems, as potential beneficiaries of this shift.

Overall, Bitwise executives say the level of institutional excitement around crypto is unlike anything in previous cycles, pointing to a more sustained phase of adoption.

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