Deloitte: 23% of CFOs Plan Crypto Adoption Within Two Years
Nearly one in four North American Chief Financial Officers expects their organisations to deploy cryptocurrency for business functions within the next two years, according to new Deloitte research that signals growing corporate acceptance of digital assets.
The second quarter 2025 North American CFO Signals survey, conducted by Steve Gallucci and John Goff, polled 200 finance chiefs at companies generating at least US$1bn in revenues.
The research found that only 1% of respondents ruled out using cryptocurrency for business purposes over the long term. Among organisations with revenues exceeding US$10bn, the proportion planning near-term crypto adoption rises to 40%.
The findings emerge as regulatory frameworks solidify around digital assets. In March, President Trump issued an executive order establishing a strategic bitcoin reserve and US digital asset stockpile.
The US Senate passed stablecoin legislation in June, creating governance structures for cryptocurrencies backed by reserve assets and tied to traditional currencies.
The survey, conducted between 4 June and 18 June, reveals that 23% of responding CFOs expect their treasury departments to utilise cryptocurrency for either investments or payments within 24 months.
Corporate concerns persist over volatility
Finance chiefs continue to harbour reservations about digital asset deployment. Price volatility emerged as the primary concern, cited by 43% of respondents when asked about cryptocurrency investment risks.
Bitcoin's value fluctuations underscore these concerns. Earlier this year, the cryptocurrency dropped 28% over a 10-week period, illustrating the price instability that troubles corporate treasurers.
Accounting and control complexities ranked as the second-most cited concern at 42%, followed by regulatory uncertainty at 40%.
The Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC’s) establishment of a crypto task force in late January contributed to these apprehensions.
The task force subsequently rescinded earlier staff guidance on crypto asset accounting treatment, prompting the Financial Accounting Standards Board to revise its cryptocurrency accounting guidance in March.
Despite these reservations, 15% of surveyed CFOs indicated their treasury departments will likely purchase non-stable cryptocurrencies as investment vehicles over the next 24 months.
The percentage increases to 24% among finance chiefs at organisations with revenues of US$10bn or more.
Non-stable cryptocurrencies including bitcoin and ether offer portfolio diversification benefits for corporate treasurers.
These digital assets present opportunities for substantial price appreciation that can exceed returns from traditional assets such as Treasury securities, despite their inherent volatility.
Stablecoin payments gain traction
Corporate interest extends beyond investment applications. Fifteen percent of surveyed finance chiefs anticipate their organisations will accept stablecoin as payment within two years. This figure rises to 24% among companies with revenues exceeding US$10bn.
Customer privacy protection drives stablecoin adoption, according to 45% of CFOs surveyed. Cross-border transaction facilitation ranked second at 39%, reflecting the appeal of cryptocurrency's ability to bypass traditional banking intermediaries.
International businesses find particular value in crypto-based cross-border payments, which reduce costs and accelerate settlement times by eliminating intermediary institutions.
Stablecoins pegged to the US dollar can serve as hedging instruments against foreign exchange rate fluctuations in certain circumstances.
Supply chain applications drive future adoption
Beyond payments and investments, CFOs envision broader business applications for cryptocurrency technology.
Supply chain management and tracking topped the anticipated use cases, with 52% of respondents expecting to deploy non-stable cryptocurrency for supply chain applications. Stablecoin usage for similar purposes attracted support from 48% of respondents.
Cryptocurrency transactions reduce reconciliation requirements between buyers and sellers by providing matched payment information.
The blockchain technology underlying cryptocurrencies creates digital public ledgers that record transactions rapidly, enabling organisations to track goods movement through complex supply chains involving multiple third parties and payment points.
Corporate cryptocurrency conversations extend beyond treasury departments. Over one-third of respondents (37%) report board-level discussions about cryptocurrency deployment within their organisations.
41% have engaged with chief information officers on the topic, while 34% have discussed digital assets with banks or lenders.
Only 2% of surveyed CFOs indicated they had avoided cryptocurrency discussions with stakeholders entirely, suggesting widespread corporate consideration of digital asset strategies across North American enterprises.
