A lack of industry collaboration is holding back the issuance of digital assets in the UK, according to research.

According to a study undertaken by the industry group the Investment Association (IA) and software vendor Bravura, the lack of collaboration plus several regulatory constraints are the biggest obstacles to wider adoption, as cited by 85% and 79% of respondents respectively.

The study also found a clear demand for digital or tokenised assets within the UK market, with almost one in three respondents (29%) stating that they intend to offer such funds within the next five years.

There is also an expectation from both the IA and Bravura - this demand will rise following the recent publication of a tokenisation roadmap produced by an industry working group which includes the IA and is backed by the UK government.

The Financial Conduct Authority has also endorsed the working group’s blueprint, which should, in theory, rebut the notion that there are regulatory barriers to tokenisation.

“It’s clear from the survey that whilst UK fund managers believe digital assets will be a significant investment class, they will co-exist with other types of conventional investments in the future,” said Ian Hutchinson, head of growth EMEA, Bravura.

“This is an evolution towards a new, more efficient way of investing. It is reassuring to see some activity in this area from the largest fund managers in the UK.”

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