The view that digital assets are entering a new era of institutional maturity, with regulated Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) playing a decisive role in providing investors with safe and transparent access to the market, was expressed by Leyla Sharifullina, Director and Head of Operations – Europe at Bitwise Europe.
Speaking at the Digital Assets and the Future of Finance Summit 2026, she outlined the developments shaping the modern digital asset market, highlighting the role of regulated investment products in managing institutional portfolios.
During her speech, she noted: “We are observing a shift from speculative exposure to the establishment of a comprehensive institutional infrastructure. Regulated ETPs now offer transparent and efficient access to the market, without the operational burden of directly holding digital assets.”
As she explained, these investment vehicles provide full physical backing of assets, independent oversight through a trustee, secure custody in cold storage, and operate under an approved European regulatory framework, significantly enhancing investor protection.
At the same time, she emphasized that the market is being driven by five major structural trends, including the gradual de-dollarization of the global economy, the transfer of wealth to younger generations, and the broader transition of financial markets to on-chain infrastructure through the digitization of bonds, equities, and real-world assets.
As she noted, “financial markets are steadily moving toward an environment where digital assets form part of the core investment infrastructure.”
She also referred to the rapid growth of tokenization, pointing out that leading global organizations such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Stripe, and JPMorgan are already actively investing in related applications, accelerating the transition to a new model of financial transactions.
In closing, she highlighted the importance of digital assets for portfolio diversification.
“Even a small allocation to Bitcoin or Ethereum can significantly improve portfolio diversification, as they exhibit low correlation with traditional asset classes.”
She further noted that Bitcoin’s historical trajectory demonstrates a gradual reduction in volatility, which, combined with the development of regulated investment products, is increasing interest among institutional investors.
The conference was presented by ECOMMBX.
