Australian Pension Giant Eyes Bitcoin Access For 2.2 Million Members

Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) registrations in Australia climbed nearly 70% in the 2024–2025 financial year, with many of those new accounts set up for one specific purpose: buying Bitcoin and other crypto assets.

That surge reflects a growing frustration — retirement savers want digital asset exposure, and most of the country’s big super funds haven’t been offering it.

Pressure From Members Mounts

Hostplus, which manages more than $96 billion in assets for its members, is now moving to change that.

The fund’s chief investment officer, Sam Sicilia, confirmed it is weighing a plan to give members access to Bitcoin and other digital assets through its ChoicePlus investment option — a self-directed stream that lets people shape their own retirement portfolios.

Reports indicate the offering could be available as soon as the next financial year, pending regulatory sign-off and the resolution of consumer protection requirements still being worked through.

The fund ranks third in Australia by member count and fifth by total assets. Its membership of 2.2 million gives any policy shift significant reach across the country’s retirement system.

A Gap The Big Funds Left Open

Until now, Self-Managed Super Funds have been the main path for Australians wanting crypto in their retirement savings. These are accounts set up and run by individuals — a hands-on alternative to conventional institution-managed funds.

The sharp rise in SMSF registrations tracked by crypto exchange BTC Markets points to how many savers have been willing to take on that administrative burden just to gain access to digital assets.

Kate Cooper, the Australian chief executive of OKX, recently said that a growing number of new SMSFs are being created specifically to hold digital assets — because the option simply doesn’t exist inside the major funds.

Hostplus would not be the first big super fund to enter this space. AMP made that move back in May 2024, adding Bitcoin exposure to its strategy through futures contracts. Hostplus is following a path that has at least one set of footprints on it already.

Design Phase Still Has Hurdles

The plan is not finalized. Sicilia said regulatory clearance is still needed, and the fund is prepared to wait for it.

“We’d love to get regulatory tick-off, even if it means waiting another six months,” he said, adding that six months is not a meaningful delay for an institution built around long-term investing.

Australia’s total superannuation pool stood at roughly $4.5 trillion AUD at the end of the September 2025 quarter — a number that underscores how much weight any shift in fund behavior carries for the broader financial system.

Featured image from MarkRubens/Getty Images, chart from TradingView