Scott Melker
2 min read
Institutional crypto adoption is surging, says OKX US CEO in new report originally appeared on TheStreet.
Institutional adoption of crypto is accelerating rapidly, and blockchain is becoming more than just a finance tool — it's transforming global industries. That’s the key takeaway from a new report by OKX and Blockworks Research, discussed by OKX US CEO Roshan Robert in a recent interview with TheStreet Roundtable host Scott Melker.
“These are research findings that are based on interviews with industry experts, analysis from both OKX and Blockworks,” said Roshan. “There’s a whole lot of desktop research that has gone into this report, as well as industry surveys and studies. The respondents represent companies like Stanchard and Polygon and Google.”
One of the report’s headline figures is that “around 59 to 60% of asset managers plan to launch crypto funds by 2026,” with more than 40% of institutional investors already participating in crypto mutual funds or ETPs. Roshan added that “two-thirds of finance leaders are building capabilities for tokenized products,” marking a significant shift toward blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
Beyond finance, the report highlights real-world blockchain adoption across several industries. “Of course, you have sports and entertainment… there are teams and creators using blockchain to offer digital collectibles, fan tokens, exclusive experiences,” Roshan said. “Consumer and luxury brands are trying to use blockchain for supply chain transparency [and] combating counterfeiting.”
Scott Melker called the institutional numbers “astounding,” noting the rise of Bitcoin in corporate treasuries. He asked Roshan how OKX is tailoring its U.S. platform for both retail and institutional users.
“We have to make the platform compatible to both institutions as well as the retail industry,” said Roshan. “Institutional clients want institutional-grade compliance, and we’ve invested a lot in compliance, risk management, client money controls, and cybersecurity.”
He emphasized that OKX, known for its engineering roots and deep blockchain integration, now has a compliance team “nearly 500 people strong” and applies “proper sales practices” to appeal to both traditional finance and crypto-native clients.
“There’s a flavor of TradFi that is actually coming into the organization, which is good,” Roshan concluded.
Institutional crypto adoption is surging, says OKX US CEO in new report first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025
This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
