The third-largest Australian pension fund by membership is considering offering Bitcoin and other digital assets to its 2.2 million members.
According to Bloomberg, Hostplus, Australia’s third-largest pension fund by membership with 2.2 million members and over $96 billion under management (A$139 billion), is considering introducing digital assets as an investment option. Sam Sicilia, the fund’s chief investment officer, told Bloomberg on Monday that the decision stems from member pressure: “There is definitely demand from some of our members who write to us asking: ‘Why can’t I access cryptocurrencies?'”
The offering could become available as early as the next financial year. Bitcoin and other digital assets would be made available through the ChoicePlus investment option, which allows members to independently manage their own retirement portfolio. The plan is still in the design phase and will require regulatory approval, as well as the resolution of a number of consumer protection issues.
Sicilia clarified that the fund is prepared to wait as long as necessary to obtain regulatory clearance: “We would like to get regulatory approval, even if it means waiting another six months. We are long-term investors. Six months doesn’t substantially change things for us.”
Hostplus would not be the first Australian pension fund to embrace digital assets. AMP was the first super fund to introduce Bitcoin exposure in May 2024, through Bitcoin futures contracts as part of its investment strategy.
Currently, the primary channel through which Australians access digital assets within retirement savings are Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs), pension funds managed directly by individuals rather than large institutions. According to the Investor Study Report by BTC Markets, an Australian exchange, SMSF registrations increased by 69% year-on-year during the 2024-2025 financial year. Total assets in the Australian superannuation system were estimated at around A$4,500 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2025, according to financial comparison website Canstar.
