The cryptocurrency trading market is about to receive an influx of more big banks, hedge funds and other financial institutions within the next few months to a year. A new survey shows that while most are keeping quiet in public about their crypto plans, many are preparing to enter the field.
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Big Players Prepare to Charge
Toronto-headquartered multinational information firm Thomson Reuters Corporation (NYSE: TRI), published a survey on Tuesday revealing that 20% of financial institutions are studying the possibility of entering the cryptocurrency trading space within the next 12 months period. Furthermore, 70% of those considering starting trading cryptocurrencies are planning to do so in the next three to six months, according to the survey.
The company says that the survey covered more than 400 of its clients across Thomson Reuters platforms including large asset managers, hedge funds and trading desks at the biggest banks. Over 300,000 financial professionals working in asset management, hedge funds and other institutions get access to cryptocurrency data (including price quotes for BTC, BCH and ETH) via the Thomson Reuters Eikon platform.
“Historically, the banking sector has been notoriously dismissive of the crypto movement. Cryptocurrency has variously been called a bubble, an asset for criminals, and worthless. But today’s survey demonstrates that while financial institutions are saying one thing, they’re doing quite another,” commented Kevin Murcko, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Coinmetro. “We’re witnessing a gradual institutionalization of the market, and this is sure to drive mainstream adoption. The move to accommodate digital currencies is also a symbolic one; it’s a sign of growing maturity in the market, and represents just how far cryptocurrency has come since its days of relative obscurity,” he added.
