Many Chief Compliance Officers Personally Own Crypto, Suggesting Adoption Rates Might Increase at RIA Firms in the Future

DACFP/IAA survey finds that CCOs, at 72% of RIA firms not yet allocating, believe crypto won't be added to client portfolios before 2028

GREAT FALLS, Va., Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A quarter (26%) of RIA Chief Compliance Officers said in a recent survey that they expect their firms to make crypto available to clients within the next few years. The survey was conducted in September by the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals and the Investment Adviser Association.

The survey also found that 23% of CCOs already own crypto in their personal investment accounts. "Compliance officers are clearly aware of crypto, yet many CCOs say their firms' leadership still express concern about adding crypto to client portfolios," said DACFP Founder Ric Edelman, CBDA, author of the #1 Amazon best-seller, The Truth About Crypto.

More than one-third (34%) of the CCOs responding to the survey cited disapproval of crypto by the Legal/Risk Management Team, by CIOs (32%), or by CEOs (26%). Perhaps consequently, 72% of the CCOs working at non-allocating firms say they don't expect their firms to approve allocations to crypto before 2028, if ever. As a result, these firms risk ceding market share to competitors who engage with crypto sooner.

The responding CCOs cited a wide range of compliance challenges regarding this new asset class, suggesting that regulatory clarity and education would be helpful.

"We conducted the survey to get a sense of how CCOs at investment adviser firms are thinking about crypto assets," said Karen Barr, President & CEO of the Investment Adviser Association (IAA). "As this asset class continues to evolve, it appears that CCOs are focused on the right questions. As with all investments on behalf of clients, advisers must always be guided by their fiduciary duty to ensure that any investment is in a client's best interest." Additional survey findings are available in the complete survey summary: https://dacfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CCOSurvey.pdf.

Methodology
53 Chief Compliance Officers participated in the survey, representing a 10% response rate. All respondents are CCOs or heads of compliance for an RIA, investment management firm, wealth management firm, or family office. To learn more, click here.

About DACFP
Founded by Ric Edelman, the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals is the leading provider of crypto education. DACFP connects the financial services industry and digital assets communities with leading experts via live and online events, webinars, blogs, and other educational content. Its flagship program, the FINRA-listed Certified in Blockchain and Digital Assets^SM, is the first and largest certification program of its kind—an online self-study program featuring a world-class faculty and 18 Continuing Education credits. Thousands of financial professionals from 37 countries have enrolled. 

About the Investment Adviser Association
The Investment Adviser Association is the leading trade association representing the interests of fiduciary investment advisers. The IAA's member firms collectively manage more than $35 trillion in assets for a wide variety of institutional and individual investors. In addition to serving as the voice of the advisory profession on Capitol Hill and before the SEC, DOL, CFTC and other U.S. and international regulators, the IAA provides extensive practical and educational resources to its membership. For more information, visit https://www.investmentadviser.org/ or follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube. 

SOURCE Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals