Two of the largest centralized cryptocurrency exchanges, Coinbase and OKX, are introducing services for self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFS) in Australia, providing new ways to add cryptocurrency to the country’s retirement system.
While Australians have been able to handle digital assets at SMSFS for many years, Coinbase and OKX have now packed up accessing dedicated products, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
Instead of leaving investors to set up their own structures and manage precautions independently, the exchanges offer services that combine references to accountants and law companies with combined record caution and precautions to meet audit requirements.
SMSFS costs almost a -quarter of Australia’s retirement pool and held about a $ 1.7 billion (US $ 1.1 billion) in digital ownership in March 2025, according to Australia tax Office. That total has been up to seven times since 2021, making SMSFs the first part of the system to show significant crypto exposure.
Coinbase told Bloomberg that more than 500 investors participated in the waiting list for the SMSF service, with most planning to allocate up to a $ 100,000 each of the digital ownership. OKX launched a similar offer in June and said the demand exceeded expectations.
The shift lowers barriers for major investors and marks one of the first organized efforts of major exchanges to tap into a retirement system that is in the middle of the world’s largest on a per-capita basis.
Related: The debut of Bitcoin-backed mortgages in Australia amidst the housing crisis
Crypto policies for retiring plans move to the US
Australia’s experiment with SMSFs has come as other major economies will weigh how retirement money should be in contact with digital assets, especially the United States.
Fidelity Investments is the first major service provider to test the crypto in retirement, launching a Bitcoin 401 (K) option in April 2022. Product initially allowed participants to allocate up to 20% of their savings in Bitcoin (Btc) If employers enter, but it quickly draws the pushback from the Labor Department, which warns the assurances to use “intense care” with crypto exposure.
That position will be held until May 2025, when the labor department is formalized Restored the Guide to Careful and restored the decision to plan sponsors.
The most prominent advances for crypto in US retirement policy arrived on August 7When US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order Title “Accessing access to alternative ownership for 401 (k) investors.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly-sjGrakrs
The Department of Labor has appointed the Labor to revisit retirement policies-plan, setting the way for alternative properties such as Cryptocurrencies to be included in 401 (k) s and other specified contribution accounts.
Not surprisingly, it was met with both praise and criticism. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer accepted the order, saying“
But critics warned that it could be at risk. Chris Noble, Private Equity Stakeholder project policy director, Says In a statement the transition may “primarily benefit private equity companies at the cost of retiring security for millions of Americans.”
There is also an increase of concerns about potential Conflicts of interest. Next to the passage of the Crypto-Friendly and Executive Order law, Trump and his family were heavily invested in space.
On Monday, the World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token, a project supported by the Trump family, made a trading debut after selling nearly a -quite its supply to a private offer that raised More than $ 500 million.
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