AMP Becomes Australia's First Superannuation Fund to Invest in Bitcoin

AMP has become Australia's first superannuation fund to invest in Bitcoin. The company confirmed Thursday it had allocated approximately $27 million

Australia’s largest wealth manager AMP has become the first superannuation fund in the country to officially announce an investment in Bitcoin.

On Thursday (May 12), the company confirmed that it had allocated approximately $27 million, or 0.05% of its $57 billion in assets under management, to the flagship crypto asset, purchasing it at prices between $60,000 and $70,000.

The news started making the rounds following a LinkedIn post by Steve Flegg, senior portfolio manager at AMP. In the post, Flegg stated that the firm had “taken the plunge” as Bitcoin wrapped up a “barnstorming year.”

According to Stuart Eliot, AMP’s head of portfolio management, the wealth and pensions manager opted to add “a small and risk-controlled position” to its Dynamic Asset Allocation program after thorough testing and consideration by its investment team. Eliot shared the details in a recent interview with Super Review.

The Bitcoin investment is part of a broad diversification strategy to enhance returns and manage risk, Eliot explained, adding that AMP is also observing the growing trend of institutional investors entering the crypto market, as evidenced by the launch of many crypto ETFs over the last year.

“We’re seeing a lot of interest from members in alternative assets, and we’re also seeing a growing number of institutional investors adding crypto to their portfolios. This is a small step for AMP, but it’s a significant moment for the industry,” Eliot stated.

AMP’s investment also marks a milestone for public-offer super funds, according to University of NSW economist Richard Holden. He noted that while self-managed super funds already hold an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in crypto assets, this is the first known direct investment in crypto by a major super fund.

Caroline Bowler, chief executive of Australia-based crypto exchange BTC Markets, also expressed support for the move.

“The crypto market has grown too significant to ignore. It’s not just about the buzz, it’s about the real potential Bitcoin holds as part of a diversified investment strategy. This is a smart and measured move by AMP, and I’m sure other funds will be watching closely,” Bowler said.

However, despite AMP’s announcement, many other major funds still appear to be hesitant to follow suit. For instance, AustralianSuper, the largest super fund in the country, has previously expressed skepticism about direct crypto investments, stating that it prefers to wait for further regulatory clarity.

Similarly, Australian Retirement Trust and MLC have also voiced concerns about the volatility and lack of regulation in the crypto market, making them hesitant to allocate any funds to digital assets.