According to Citi's 2026 Global Family Office Report, inflation has become the top concern for 63% of family offices, up dramatically from 37% in 2025. While tariff worries, which led concerns last year, have fallen to 18% from 60%, family offices are maintaining their equity positions rather than retreating. 46% of family offices raised public equity exposure over the past year, with 37% planning to add developed-market equities over the next year, compared to just 3% for digital assets. As Alexandre Monnier, head of family office advisory at Citi Wealth, told CNBC, family offices are becoming more sophisticated and seeing risk management as active rather than reactive.
Despite widespread crypto ownership among affluent investors, Citi's survey reveals a stark contrast in allocation priorities. While 46% of family offices see no significant barriers to raising digital asset allocations, 14% plan to cut holdings over the next year. The most cited obstacle is lack of internal expertise or governance frameworks, named by 27% of respondents, with North American offices flagging this gap most often at 34%. This aligns with Nexo's findings showing that only 4.7% of affluent investors have deeply integrated digital assets into long-term financial planning, with their average Crypto Integration Index score at 4.83 out of 10.
The disconnect between crypto ownership and allocation priorities creates significant estate planning challenges. According to MoneyLion consultations, 11-18% of bitcoin gets lost permanently due to lost keys or owners dying without providing heirs access instructions. As noted by Barry E. Janay, Esq., cryptocurrency requires both legal authority and practical access, unlike traditional assets where heirs can access without private keys. The challenge is compounded by the fact that there's no password reset option and court orders have no consequence because there's no person to obey them. Estate planning experts recommend creating comprehensive crypto asset inventories, access maps, and documenting storage locations, but warn against putting passwords directly into wills or trusts due to potential public exposure.
Among respondents with Crypto Integration Index scores of 7 or above, operational concerns become more prominent. According to the report, 36% cited security concerns as a source of friction, while 34% identified high fees and 28% pointed to platform complexity. Neil Steinhardt, chief operating officer of Nexo US, noted that investors who had moved beyond crypto risk concerns were left dealing with security, fees and platform usability. The findings suggest that while conviction appears strong - with just under 20% of surveyed investors expecting crypto to become their biggest source of personal wealth creation over the coming decade - integration remains limited by operational barriers and the critical need for technical expertise in estate planning.
The survey revealed significant differences in crypto integration across markets, with Citi's findings showing similar patterns. Argentina recorded the highest ownership rate at 74%, but its average Crypto Integration Index score was 4.62, the lowest of the three markets. The United States produced the opposite pattern, with 62% ownership but the highest integration score of 5.07. U.K. respondents fell between the two markets, with 65% reporting crypto ownership and an average index score of 4.75. Age also influenced integration, with investors between 35-44 recording the deepest retirement integration, while those between 18-25 showed the highest ownership but lowest long-term investment horizons.
