DeFi Fades, Crypto Investors Focus on Core Infrastructure

Crypto News Cryptocurrencies

DeFi Loses Spotlight as Investors Back the Basics of Crypto Growth

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: February 05, 2026

Key Takeaways

85% of surveyed crypto leaders say infrastructure is the top funding focus, overtaking DeFi, compliance, and cybersecurity;
Liquidity shortages and weak settlement systems are seen as the biggest barriers to institutional crypto adoption;
Most respondents expect steady growth through 2026, but fewer foresee major spikes in innovation than last year.

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DeFi Loses Spotlight as Investors Back the Basics of Crypto Growth

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Crypto investors are showing more interest in improving the basics of the market rather than funding decentralized finance (DeFi) projects.

A new survey of senior figures in the crypto industry found that most funding is directed toward infrastructure rather than experimental financial tools.

The report was released by CfC St. Moritz, a digital asset conference, and included feedback from 242 attendees at its private January event. Respondents came from various backgrounds, including institutional investors, company executives, regulators, and representatives from family offices.

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Among all participants, 85% said infrastructure should be the main focus of future funding. Areas such as DeFi, compliance, cybersecurity, and user experience followed.

Even with this more cautious approach, most participants remain positive about growth and innovation. However, they also see liquidity problems as the industry's biggest challenge.

Many respondents said that market depth and settlement efficiency still prevent large financial institutions from investing heavily in crypto. They believe the current systems cannot yet handle the scale or reliability needed for participation.

Around 84% of respondents described the global economy as favorable or at least neutral for crypto’s progress. Still, many agreed that market infrastructure must improve to support larger investments.

The survey also revealed that most expect progress to accelerate in 2026, but fewer predict major breakthroughs than last year.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) has become the main investment focus for the world’s largest family offices, while cryptocurrencies remain a niche choice. Why? Read the full story.