Australia’s third-largest pension fund, Hostplus, is exploring offering its 2.2 million members direct access to cryptocurrencies. The fund manages around 150 billion AUD (105 billion USD) and plans to enable crypto investments through its existing ChoicePlus platform, potentially starting in the new financial year from July 2026. This would make Hostplus the first major APRA-regulated fund in Australia to provide direct crypto access.
ChoicePlus is a self-managed investment window within the fund, where members can already invest in Australian shares, ETFs, and term deposits. The proposed crypto offering would follow similar rules: a minimum balance of 10,000 AUD, purchase orders starting at 1,500 AUD, and an annual management fee of 168 AUD. Unlike AMP, which only offered indirect exposure via Bitcoin futures, Hostplus members could decide for themselves how much to invest in Bitcoin or other digital assets. Tokenized music rights are also being considered.
The demand for crypto in Australia’s superannuation system is tangible: around 25% of Australians want access to digital assets through their pension funds. Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) now hold 1.7 billion AUD in crypto, seven times more than in 2021. Hostplus aims to meet this demand within a regulated framework, offering lower costs and less administrative burden than an SMSF.
The main hurdle remains approval from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), which requires all digital asset platforms to hold a DAP license starting March 31, 2026. If successful, Hostplus could serve as a model for other funds, opening up Australia’s pension system to crypto while keeping systemic risk low and providing members with choice.
Sources:
- Hostplus Annual Members’ Meeting 2025 Minutes (PDF) – hostplus.com.au
- Bloomberg interview with Hostplus CIO Sam Sicilia