Financial institutions have broadly committed to digital assets, but most have yet to move beyond planning and pilot projects. A Fireblocks report, based on a January 2026 survey by The Value Exchange of 638 C-suite executives and decision-makers worldwide, found that 89% of respondents had allocated or planned to allocate budget to digital-asset infrastructure in 2026, while 11% were deferring spending to 2027. Only 16% had reached production status, despite 53% allocating at least $1 million this year to production-scale initiatives. The deployment gap reflects institutions' cautious evaluation of use cases, regulatory requirements, legacy-system integration, security and custody risks, and compliance frameworks. C-suite executives directly lead blockchain and digital-asset programs at 55% of surveyed institutions, with financial infrastructure transformation the leading driver in 50% of cases. Fintech companies and payment service providers, rather than other banks, were identified as the main competitive threat by 43% of respondents. Payment solutions, stablecoins, tokenized deposits and tokenized securities ranked among the leading priorities. Although 96% expect upcoming frameworks, including MiCA in Europe and evolving U.S. guidance, to be favorable or very favorable for digital-asset adoption, the survey indicates that institutions are prioritizing robust infrastructure over speed. The findings point to strong long-term institutional interest, while suggesting that broader deployment will depend on greater regulatory clarity and technical maturity.