For the past two years, crypto-media outlets and Bitcoin (BTC) advocates have placed heavy emphasis on the need for institutional investors to encompass the cryptocurrency sector. The oft-stated belief was that institutional inflow would atomic number 82 to mass adoption and an incredible fasten in the value of crypto-assets as a whole.

Fast forward to the present, and the full cryptocurrency market capitalization has notwithstanding to reach the $750 billion all-time high seen in late 2022.

The slow recovery of crypto prices raises a few hard to answer questions. If institutional funds have been flowing into cryptocurrencies, why hasn't at that place been a meaning price increase over the concluding three years?

Either there is an almost infinite sell pressure — which shouldn't be a barrier considering the total crypto market cap is just $248 billion — or this theory that institutional investment volition pump crypto prices does not hold. Here are three reasons why institutional investors have yet to bring together the crypto marketplace.

The on-ramp remains too steep

Investing in Bitcoin, the meridian listed crypto asset on CoinMarketCap, remains a meaning hurdle for large mutual fund managers, especially when considering their perceived take a chance of Bitcoin.

Add to this the additional purchasing steps necessary, compared to more traditional assets, and the process of just ownership crypto is off-putting. Some funds' internal regulation also does not let investments of specific products, while others are ousted by the depression liquidity in regulated and approved venues.

Presence does not equal turn a profit or guarantee a bull marketplace

The inflow or presence of institutional investors does necessarily interpret into buying pressure level. Renaissance Technologies Medallion Funds'due south recent entry into CME's Bitcoin futures markets is a perfect example.

Furthermore, it should be noted that since CME futures are cash-settled, they don't necessarily involve whatever Bitcoin trading activity. More importantly, a hedge fund tin can as well open up short positions.

Investors should wonder: Why should they celebrate a $ten-billion fund potentially inbound the infinite looking to bet confronting Bitcoin's price?

Yes, there has been significant growth in the crypto derivatives market, and these are preferred instruments amid institutional-size investors, but they remain incredibly complex for the average retail investor.

Building positions via futures might come up in at a high cost, as contracts expire every 2 months. Furthermore, this would mean investors would accept on the risk of trading at a negative premium to the spot market, equally there is usually a cost involved in switching to the next expiry.

Simply put, futures contracts are not designed for long-term belongings.

Compared to traditional markets, the crypto sector is too pocket-sized

While Bitcoin does produce amazing returns, there are other reasons why a $94-trillion manufacture will not simply blindly purchase cryptocurrencies someday before long.

Cryptocurrency market cap in perspective. Source: BitcoinIRA

Cryptocurrency market cap in perspective. Source: BitcoinIRA

No matter how many times ane has seen the chart to a higher place, it remains pretty impressive. The crypto sector's $248 billion marketplace cap is just a speck among capital markets. Currently, Japanese yen banknotes in circulation amount to $1 trillion, and this does non include bank deposits nor treasuries.

The world's 20 largest asset managers combined oversee $42.3 trillion. A mere 0.5% investment in cryptocurrencies would cease up at $211 billion — equivalent to 84% of the total marketplace cap.

Even though the past few years have shown that crypto can provide an infinite upside, one must concede cryptocurrencies are non fifty-fifty close to existence at the same playing field as traditional markets. Grayscale Investments manages $3 billion, the largest available publicly-traded vehicle for institutional investment in cryptocurrencies.

Despite such a significant corporeality, it remains insignificant in the optics of the world'south largest coin managers.

Top 7 owners of JPMorgan & Bank Of America shares. Source: CNN Business

Superlative seven owners of JPMorgan & Banking company Of America shares. Source: CNN Business

Banks, credit cards, insurance and brokerage companies represent a significant portion of the portfolio for almost every large nugget manager. BlackRock, State Street, Vanguard, Fidelity and Wellington consistently feature every bit the top xx holders of financial stocks.

Banks are a relevant thespian in this field as HSBC, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, UBS and Wells Fargo effigy among the world's largest mutual funds managers.

This relationship goes deeper every bit banks are relevant investors and distributors of such independent mutual funds. This entanglement goes fifty-fifty further as big financial manufacture players dominate equities and debt offerings, analogous investment funds' allocation in such deals.

At that place's not much room to exist gained for any mutual fund manager to sit down at the wrong side of the tabular array when the field of study is the traditional finance industry.

At the moment, cryptocurrencies are in no way a threat to Visa, Wells Fargo, Chubb or Charles Schwab. It doesn't thing how well decentralized finance is performing or how sizable Bitcoin transactions are correct now.

Therefore, the question investors should be asking is: What is preventing institutions from engaging, and what would it take to get them to invest in cryptocurrencies?

Regulatory pressure level remains a hurdle

Former Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo admitted in October 2022 that his agency deliberated with the Treasury, the U.s. Securities Exchange Committee and the National Economic Council to suppress Bitcoin's incredible 2022 rally.

This regime-backed plan culminated in December 2022 as CME and CBOE both listed Bitcoin futures contracts — 1 day after Bitcoin's famous $nineteen,700 top.

In May 2022, U.S. member of congress Brad Sherman called on colleagues to outlaw cryptocurrencies. President Donald Trump tweeted back in July 2022:

"I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are non money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air."

More recently, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin promised "pregnant new requirements" on cryptocurrencies.

In Oct 2022, U.South. senators went equally far equally sending out a letter of the alphabet to three companies backing Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency project, citing "risks the project poses to consumers, regulated financial institutions, and the global financial organization."

Despite Bitcoin non being widely regarded as a competitor to fiat money, information technology is almost sure that information technology would be if the cryptocurrency accomplished a trillion-dollar market cap.

Liquidity and ease of access

BAKKT has a production designed to ease mutual funds' pregnant barrier to Bitcoin investment. Bitcoin futures contracts with physical delivery permit purchases throughout an entirely regulated venue, including the custody process.

As reported by Cointelegraph, BAKKT is controlled by the Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Stock Commutation. Clients willing to merchandise such products must do information technology through the regular brokers used for stocks and futures.

BAKKT's Bitcoin Monthly Futures contracts volume. Source: Twitter @BakktBot​​​​​​​

BAKKT's Bitcoin Monthly Futures contracts volume. Source: Twitter @BakktBot

For ages, retail investors awaited BAKKT's launch, as its arrival was prophesied to be a betoken that the crypto sector had received the blessing of institutional investors. Estimates of a new all-time high being reached in 2022 and 2022 were relentless and more often than not, incorrect.

Later on launch, what seemed like a perfect solution produced an average daily volume, which to this appointment, remains irrelevant. There are numerous reasons this could be taking place:

  • Few brokers currently offer BAKKT's products.
  • Many funds' internal regulations practice not allow the ownership of physical Bitcoin-based investments.
  • Boosted hierarchy (controls) is required for funds to be canonical by BAKKT.
  • Concrete Bitcoin not accepted every bit margin for leverage trading.
  • Limited Dominicus to Friday 8:00 p.1000. to half-dozen:00 p.m. trading hours.

Although internal fund regulations can exist inverse to accommodate Bitcoin investing, it might not brand much sense correct now for multi-billion-dollar investment funds.

Analysts and portfolio managers proposing the improver of a new nugget course in secular common fund managers would be taking an immense personal adventure.

Crypto tin can and will calibration without institutions

The intention of this slice is not to turn abroad investors from Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Pundits and analysts with no real market experience take promised impossible scenarios for far also long. If the Bitcoin market place cap is still under $1 trillion, rest assured y'all've arrived early to the political party, and that's not necessarily a practiced thing.

In that location is possibly an unlimited upside for this nugget class, and institutional investors' entrance will almost certainly happen gradually, then suddenly. Right now, it is essential to realize that a multi-trillion-dollar mutual fund industry hasn't got strong enough reasons to invest in such a nascent asset class.

Crypto does non need the mutual funds industry; it is the other way around. Bitcoin is money for regular people and an investment by itself.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph. Every investment and trading move involves risk. Yous should conduct your own enquiry when making a decision.