Australian Pension Funds Gain Access to Crypto Investments

Cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and OKX are launching products that allow retirement savings to be invested in digital assets under Australia’s pension system.

Coinbase and OKX are rolling out crypto investment services for self-managed super funds (SMSF), which oversee about a quarter of Australia’s total pension assets, Bloomberg reports.

According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), SMSF investments in cryptocurrencies reached 1.7 billion Australian dollars by March 2025 — seven times more than in 2021. Meanwhile, the overall Australian pension system is valued at 4.3 trillion Australian dollars ($2.8 trillion).

Bloomberg sources note that Coinbase is preparing to launch a dedicated SMSF service in the coming months, which already attracted more than 500 investors awaiting its debut. Reportedly, 80% of them plan to open new funds, while 77% intend to invest up to 100,000 Australian dollars in digital assets. For its part, OKX introduced a similar product back in June 2024, and demand has exceeded initial expectations.

The growing interest in crypto pension investments spans different generations. Older individuals are adding digital assets to existing accounts, while younger investors are opening SMSFs much earlier than the traditional age, often making crypto the core of their portfolios. Although there’s no minimum entry threshold, maintaining an SMSF requires accounting expenses and mandatory independent audits, making it more beneficial for larger accounts.

At the same time, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) warns citizens against excessive hype around cryptocurrencies, citing their high volatility. The tax office also reminds investors that the purpose of retirement savings is to ensure adequate income in old age, not speculation.

Two weeks earlier, Donald Trump signed an order allowing crypto investments in U.S. 401(k) retirement plans. Major American pension funds already experimented with crypto investments through exchange-traded funds in 2024, while the first U.S. public pension funds made allocations to digital assets back in 2021.

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