Digital asset treasuries are opening the gates to mainstream crypto

In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) like Michael Saylor's Strategy are emerging as one of 2025’s most significant bridges between traditional finance and the crypto economy. Once considered the exclusive domain of early adopters and high-risk traders, crypto exposure is now being reshaped through institutional-grade vehicles that mirror the accessibility and compliance of conventional investments.

According to Monarq Asset Management's Chief Investment Officer Sam Gaer, digital asset treasuries are “broadening access to crypto” by removing the friction and perceived complexity of traditional crypto trading rails. Monarq is a FalconX-backed multi-strategy digital asset firm, and recently revealed that it has merged with Mountain Lake Acquisition Corp. for $675 million, including about $460 million in treasury assets.

For investors such as wealth managers, endowments, and high net worth individuals, who are often restricted by mandates that prohibit direct crypto holdings, DATs provide a familiar, brokerage-friendly format. Even the retail investor, Gaer notes, can now request exposure to assets like Solana or Ethereum through managed funds that offer yield generation rather than the passivity of ETFs.

Crypto's got room to grow

When equity markets lost $5 trillion during a week-long downturn earlier this year, it amounted to nearly double the total value of all crypto assets globally, Gaer pointed out. The comparison highlights the vast room for growth in digital assets as they enter the mainstream.

Beyond accessibility, DATs also represent a shift in how traditional finance views blockchain infrastructure. These products enable custodial clarity, audited holdings, and regulated structures that build confidence among conservative investors and compliance driven institutions. They allow capital allocators to treat crypto exposure as part of a balanced portfolio rather than a speculative gamble.

"These products are an excellent vehicle to broaden access to wealth management, endowments, high net worth individuals who don't want the crypto rails," Gaer explained.

The growing acceptance of DATs signals a broader transformation across global markets. As banks, brokers, and asset managers adopt these structures, the lines between digital and traditional assets continue to blur.

This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the MARKETS section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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