General Crypto
February 12, 2026
A crypto forecast was in the spotlight after a senior BlackRock executive said that if Asian portfolios allocated just 1% to crypto, the region could potentially unleash about $2 trillion in crypto inflows. Given that the entire crypto market is currently valued at around $2.3 trillion, even a small shift in Asian investors could have a significant impact.
Also Read: Citigroup Just Tokenized Real Trade Finance on Solana
How BlackRock Crypto Forecast Points to $2T Inflows and Asia’s Growing Role
Appearing at a panel discussion at Consensus in Hong Kong, Nicholas Peach, head of APAC iShares at BlackRock, shared his crypto forecast. He said:
“Some model advisors are now recommending a 1% allocation to cryptocurrencies in your standard investment portfolio. If you do some fun math… there’s about $108 trillion of household wealth in all of Asia. So you take 1% of that… and that’d be just south of $2 trillion of inflows into the market, which is what, 60% of what the market is now?”
The Asian market has played a pertinent role in the cryptocurrency industry. But Peach’s latest comment reveals how even a partial adoption could bring in significant inflows.
In addition, the BlackRock executive affirmed that several investors are employing ETFs to express their market views. He further noted that this trend wasn’t limited to crypto but moves towards equities, fixed income, and commodities.
Also Read: Bitcoin ETF Outflows Hit $276M as Fidelity’s FBTC Leads Major Redemptions
A Short Detour Into The U.S. Market
BlackRock’s iShares platform has revealed how access changes investor sentiment. The firm’s U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, became one of the fastest-growing ETFs, currently managing billions of dollars. The firm has lured in institutional crypto adoption.
Asian crypto investors have been active participants in U.S.-listed crypto ETFs. Meanwhile, markets like Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea are expanding their own ETF frameworks. With Asia’s crypto investment scene witnessing a change, capital that flowed overseas will be directed back into regional platforms. He added,
“There’s actually been a boom in ETF adoption more broadly in the region.”
A Look Into Asia’s Elite
A 2025 report revealed that several wealthy Asian families, as well as family offices, were looking to explore crypto. Wealth managers noted a rise in client enquiries around digital assets and are eyeing 5% crypto exposure in their portfolios. Lu Zijie, head of Wealth Management at UBS China, said:
“Many second- and third-generation individuals of family offices are starting to learn about and participate in virtual currencies.”
In addition, Asia’s rising ETF adoption aligns with BlackRock’s crypto forecast. Several projections suggest that the Asia-Pacific ETF market could exceed $1.8 trillion in assets by 2026. BlackRock’s Asia outlook could come to life if funds move in the right direction.
Also Read: Russia Blocks WhatsApp After Moving to Restrict Telegram Nationwide
