AI Emerges as Top Priority for Global Family Offices, While Crypto Remains Marginal – JPMorgan Report
February 3 2026 – Cointelegraph
A fresh study from JPMorgan Private Bank reveals that artificial‑intelligence (AI) projects have become the most favoured investment theme among the world’s largest family offices, dwarfing interest in cryptocurrencies and even traditional safe‑haven assets such as gold.
Survey snapshot
- Sample: 333 single‑family offices across 30 nations, surveyed between May and July 2025.
- Geography: 59 % are U.S.-based; the remainder represent Europe, Latin America and the Asia‑Pacific.
- AI focus: 65 % of respondents (216 offices) say AI‑related opportunities are a current or near‑future priority.
- Crypto outlook: Only 17 % (56 offices) list digital assets as a key theme.
- Actual exposure: 89 % of family offices have no crypto holdings; the average allocation to the whole crypto class stands at 0.4 % of portfolio value, with Bitcoin exposure averaging just 0.2 %.
- Gold: 72 % report zero exposure, indicating a broader reluctance to traditional hedges.
Asset‑class allocations in focus
Private equity retains the strongest appeal for allocation growth, with 37 % of offices planning to boost exposure over the next 12‑18 months. Growth‑equity and venture‑capital funds—often the conduit for early‑stage AI startups—are also gaining traction, despite more than half of the respondents still lacking exposure to these segments.
Risk considerations
Family offices identified geopolitics as their top risk (20 % of votes), followed by liquidity constraints and trade‑policy uncertainties, each accounting for 12 % of the risk tally. Concerns about asset valuation, macro‑economic growth and portfolio concentration rank just behind.
The Asian nuance
Although the global average still shows tepid crypto interest, a Reuters report from the previous year highlighted rising enthusiasm among Asian family offices, with some aiming for allocations as high as 5 % in select markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China. In line with that trend, Hong Kong‑based VMS Group—a multi‑family office managing roughly $4 billion—announced in June its intention to allocate up to $10 million to a crypto‑focused strategy run by Re7 Capital.
Analysis
The JPMorgan data underscore a clear divergence between the excitement surrounding AI and the cautious stance on digital assets among ultra‑wealthy investors. Several factors may explain this split:
- Maturity of AI investment pipelines – AI startups, especially those delivering enterprise‑grade solutions, have attracted substantial private‑equity and venture‑capital capital, offering more transparent return pathways for family offices accustomed to long‑term, illiquid holdings.
- Regulatory uncertainty – While AI faces its own policy challenges, crypto markets continue to grapple with fragmented regulation, especially in the U.S. and Europe. This ambiguity likely dampens appetite among risk‑averse family offices.
- Portfolio diversification – Family offices appear to be favouring assets that can provide both growth and a degree of defensive positioning (e.g., private equity) rather than high‑volatility crypto assets, which are still perceived primarily as speculative.
- Geopolitical backdrop – Elevated concerns about geopolitical tension may be prompting a shift toward assets that are less directly exposed to sovereign risk, such as AI‑driven tech companies, while traditional safe‑havens like gold are being bypassed in favour of more productive capital.
Key takeaways
- AI dominance: Two‑thirds of surveyed family offices are prioritising AI, signalling sustained capital flow into machine‑learning, generative AI and related technologies.
- Crypto remains peripheral: Less than one‑fifth view digital assets as a core theme, and the overwhelming majority hold no crypto positions.
- Gold is out of favour: Even in uncertain times, family offices are largely avoiding the classic hedge, allocating scarcely any weight to the metal.
- Private‑equity is the growth engine: Over a third plan to increase private‑equity stakes, with venture‑capital and growth‑equity catching up as pathways to AI exposure.
- Regional divergence: Asian family offices are modestly leading the modest uptick in crypto exposure, contrasting with the global consensus of restraint.
As AI continues to reshape industries, family offices appear set to channel more capital into the sector, while cryptocurrency adoption will likely remain modest until regulatory clarity and demonstrable risk‑adjusted returns emerge. The next 12‑18 months should reveal whether blockchain‑based innovations can break through the current inertia and capture a larger slice of the ultra‑wealthy investment pie.
Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-tops-family-office-investments-crypto-jpmorgan-report-2026?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
