Sui executives say institutional demand has never been higher
Institutional interest in the cryptocurrency space is rapidly growing, even amidst market fluctuations, as highlighted by executives at Consensus Hong Kong 2026. Stephen Mackintosh, the chief investment officer of Sui Group Holdings, stated that 2025 was a pivotal year for institutional adoption of crypto. He pointed to the rise of digital asset treasury (DAT) vehicles and the success of spot bitcoin ETFs as key indicators of this trend.
Mackintosh noted that following the passage of the Genius Act, there has been a surge in institutional demand and awareness regarding the potential benefits of cryptocurrency, particularly in areas such as tokenization and stablecoins. Despite fluctuations in market sentiment, Mackintosh emphasized that there is a clear structural shift taking place. He highlighted the increasing options volumes and the entry of major firms like Citadel and Jane Street into the crypto markets as evidence of this trend. According to Mackintosh, some of the largest financial institutions in the world are investing in infrastructure and talent to capture a larger share of the market.
Evan Cheng, the CEO of Mysten Labs, discussed the next phase of the industry as a convergence between traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi), rather than direct competition. Cheng explained that traditional finance products often operate on a “T+1 or T+whatever” settlement basis, while DeFi offers immediate settlement (“T+0”), making it a superior product in terms of speed. He predicted that the convergence between the two sectors would be driven by tokenization, enabling investors to collateralize and borrow against assets instantly.
When asked about the potential competition between ETFs and DeFi, Cheng suggested that products would evolve over time. While institutional on-ramps may start off cautiously, they could eventually incorporate yield or other on-chain mechanisms as the industry matures.
Both Mackintosh and Cheng emphasized the importance of infrastructure in distinguishing Sui within the market. Mackintosh described Sui as a unique offering developed by former Facebook engineers involved in the Libra project. He highlighted the platform’s low latency and high throughput, which are well-suited for emerging use cases such as “agentic commerce,” a concept that combines AI and on-chain transactions.
Overall, the discussions at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 underscored the growing interest and investment from institutional players in the cryptocurrency space. As the industry continues to evolve, it is clear that infrastructure and technological advancements will play a crucial role in shaping its future.
