Remond Timmerman, Head of Investor Relations at Hodl Group, said that digital assets have now moved beyond the phase of skepticism into that of institutional integration.
Speaking at the Digital Assets and the Future of Finance Summit 2026, presented by ECOMMBX, he analyzed how institutional investors currently approach digital assets, explaining that the key question is no longer whether they will invest, but how they will integrate this new asset class into their portfolios.
During his speech, he stated: “Five years ago, the question was whether this market was real. Today, the discussion is about how much exposure to take, through which products, and with which partners. This shift marks the transition from curiosity to a recognized investment asset class.”
As he explained, this evolution has been made possible by the maturation of the regulatory framework, the development of accessible investment products, and the growing participation of institutional investors. He also referred to the implementation of the European MiCA framework, the development of spot Bitcoin ETFs, and the creation of new investment vehicles that allow safe and fully regulated access to the market.
At the same time, he noted: “The real challenge is not investment conviction, but proper allocation construction. Adding digital assets does not simply mean buying Bitcoin. It is a design process that must take into account volatility, the regulatory framework, investment mandates, and overall risk management.”
He emphasized that the market is now evolving far beyond cryptocurrencies, as tokenization expands into equities, bonds, money market funds, and other real-world assets, creating new opportunities for institutional investors through solutions that are already compatible with existing investment frameworks.
In closing, he stressed: “The market has already changed. Access exists, the rules exist, and the participants exist. The question is no longer whether digital assets have a place in an institutional portfolio, but how that allocation is structured. It is a matter of investment discipline, not a simple bet.”
