The digital asset infrastructure build is no longer a future priority for financial institutions — it's happening now. 88% of institutions have committed budget in 2026, and 53% are spending at production scale. But only 16% have reached production. The gap between investment and readiness is this year's defining challenge.
The Financial Grid, based on a 2026 survey of over 600 decision-makers at financial institutions and corporates around the world, maps where that build stands today: which use cases banks are prioritizing by institution type, which asset classes they're preparing to support, and where client demand is coming from — including the segment that is simultaneously the market's biggest source of demand and its most acute competitive threat.
The report goes beyond strategy to tackle what production-ready digital asset infrastructure actually requires — from custody architecture and wallet complexity to the skills gap that is blocking scale at even the most advanced institutions, and the reporting requirements most banks haven't yet accounted for. This is the first report from the survey. Regional deep-dives and corporate findings follow.