Hostplus Eyes Bitcoin Investment Option for Retirement Funds

TheNewsCryptoPubblicato 2026-03-24Pubblicato ultima volta 2026-03-24

Introduzione

Hostplus, an Australian superannuation fund managing A$150 billion in assets, is planning to offer bitcoin and other digital asset investment options through its self-directed Choiceplus program. This would allow members to allocate a portion of their retirement savings to crypto, pending regulatory and internal approvals. Chief Investment Officer Sam Sicilia cited growing member demand and the maturation of the crypto market as key reasons. The fund is also considering a broader range of digital assets, including tokenized exposures like music rights. While the Australian pension industry has been cautious, the U.S. has seen proactive steps to include crypto in retirement plans. The offering could be available as early as the next financial year.

An Australian industry superannuation fund, Hostplus, is seeking to provide bitcoin and other digital asset investment options, as reported by Bloomberg.

The superannuation fund is responsible for handing over A$150 billion in assets and is now seeking to add crypto exposure through the self-directed option, Choiceplus. Hostplus permits members to self-manage a portion of their retirement savings, now estimated at 1% of the fund’s overall assets.

Digital asset offerings on Hostplus could come as early as the upcoming financial year, relying on regulatory approval and internal design work, Chief Investment Officer Sam Sicilia mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg.

He also added that issues like consumer protections and product structure are still under review. There is surely a demand from some of our members who write in and say, ‘Why can’t I have access to cryptocurrency?’

The report further mentions that Hostplus serves around 2 million members, having an average age in the mid-to-late 30s, according to the report. The official mentioned crypto has matured prominently since the company’s first evaluation of the asset class around a decade ago.

The Cautious And Proactive Steps

The fund is now re-examining not just Bitcoin but a wider range of digital assets, possibly including tokenized exposures associated with areas like music rights. The pension fund industry from Australia has already shown restricted interest in crypto exposure.

Two years ago, pension and wealth firm AMP Ltd mentioned it took a careful step into the asset class by having indirect exposure via bitcoin futures. At the same time, the United States has been proactive in widening the role of crypto in retirement systems.

In August 2025, President Donald Trump signed an official order allowing 401(k) plans to comprise crypto, and Indiana recently passed legislation permitting crypto allocations within certain state retirement plans. However, Hostplus has not revealed more information than this.

Highlighted Crypto News Today:

Bitcoin (BTC) in a Tug of War: Can Bulls Reclaim Strength, or Will Bears Strike Again?

Domande pertinenti

QWhat is Hostplus seeking to provide for its members according to the Bloomberg report?

AHostplus is seeking to provide bitcoin and other digital asset investment options for its members.

QThrough which specific option will Hostplus members be able to gain crypto exposure?

AMembers will be able to gain crypto exposure through the self-directed option called Choiceplus.

QWhat are the two main factors that will determine when digital asset offerings become available on Hostplus?

AThe availability of digital asset offerings relies on regulatory approval and the completion of internal design work.

QWhat was the cautious step taken by AMP Ltd into the crypto asset class two years ago?

AAMP Ltd took a careful step by gaining indirect exposure to crypto through bitcoin futures.

QWhat significant U.S. policy change regarding retirement plans and crypto was mentioned, and who signed it?

AIn August 2025, President Donald Trump signed an official order allowing 401(k) plans to comprise cryptocurrency.

Letture associate

Wall Street Collectively Pessimistic About 2026: Could an Oil Crisis Trigger an Economic Recession?

In late March, multiple major financial institutions—Moody's Analytics, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and EY-Parthenon—raised their 12-month recession probability forecasts for the U.S. to over 30%. Moody’s gave the highest estimate at 48.6%, followed by EY-Parthenon at 40%, J.P. Morgan at 35%, and Goldman Sachs at 30%. A key common factor is the sharp rise in oil prices, with Brent crude surpassing $100 per barrel in early March—the first time in four years—due to supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. Historical data indicates that four out of the five major oil price shocks since the 1970s led to economic recessions. Although the current price increase of around 80% is the smallest among them, the scale of supply disruption is described by the IEA as the largest since the 1970s energy crises. J.P. Morgan estimates that every sustained 10% increase in oil prices reduces U.S. GDP growth by 15–20 basis points. Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, outlined two extreme outcomes: either geopolitical resolution leads to oil prices falling to $40 and global growth, or prolonged conflict keeps prices above $100—possibly near $150—triggering a global recession. He ruled out a 2008-style systemic financial meltdown, citing stronger bank buffers. Beyond oil, declining consumer confidence and weak employment data are amplifying concerns. The convergence of pessimistic forecasts from different methodological approaches may itself influence economic behavior, potentially becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy as businesses and consumers become more cautious.

marsbit12 min fa

Wall Street Collectively Pessimistic About 2026: Could an Oil Crisis Trigger an Economic Recession?

marsbit12 min fa

Ripple Enters Singapore Central Bank Initiative With RLUSD Pilot

Ripple has joined the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) BLOOM initiative, partnering with Unloq to pilot a programmable cross-border trade settlement system using RLUSD and the XRP Ledger. The pilot, part of MAS's effort to expand tokenized settlement capabilities, aims to reduce friction in trade finance by automating payments upon meeting commercial conditions like shipment verification. This initiative highlights Ripple's focus on positioning RLUSD as an institutional settlement asset within regulated frameworks, enhancing efficiency and transparency for global trade, particularly for SMEs.

bitcoinist16 min fa

Ripple Enters Singapore Central Bank Initiative With RLUSD Pilot

bitcoinist16 min fa

Bitcoin nears $72K – But here’s why BTC’s setup looks extremely fragile

Bitcoin's recent push toward $72,000 appears fragile and may be a trap for overly bullish traders. Despite rising funding rates indicating heavy long positioning, this overcrowding increases the risk of a sharp reversal. Analysis of supply-demand dynamics reveals a recurring pattern similar to those that preceded significant declines from $90,000 and $80,000, suggesting exhaustion rather than continuation. Macro conditions further weaken the rally, as rising high-yield bond yields signal tightening financial conditions and reduced risk appetite—historically negative for Bitcoin. Additionally, retail participation remains subdued, lacking the momentum needed to sustain higher prices. While some accumulation is visible, it's insufficient to confirm a bullish reversal. Without stronger confirmation, the current move is structurally unsound and vulnerable to a downside driven by long liquidations.

ambcrypto17 min fa

Bitcoin nears $72K – But here’s why BTC’s setup looks extremely fragile

ambcrypto17 min fa

Bitget UEX Daily | US-Iran Negotiations Still Have Differences, but Ceasefire Expectations Boost US Stocks; Google's Cache Compression Technology Impacts Storage Sector

Bitget UEX Daily: US-Iran Negotiations Show Progress But Divisions Remain, Boosting US Stocks; Google's Cache Compression Tech Impacts Storage Sector Key highlights: US-Iran negotiations have seen "productive engagement" over three days, with the US defense strike pause lifting risk sentiment, though core uranium disputes persist. Saudi Arabia rapidly rerouted Red Sea oil exports, doubling shipments from Yanbu port as Hormuz Strait remains blocked. Morgan Stanley's Mike Wilson forecasts 20% S&P 500 earnings growth. Market performance: WTI oil rose 1.13% to $91.37/bbl, gold gained 0.72% to $4,539/oz. BTC increased 0.68% to $71,176, with short liquidations dominating. Major indices rose: Dow +0.66%, S&P 500 +0.54%, Nasdaq +0.77%. Commercial space stocks surged over 10% on SpaceX IPO rumors, while storage stocks (Micron, Western Digital) fell 3-5.7% due to Google's TurboQuant memory compression algorithm reducing AI model memory needs. Notable moves: Circle (CRCL) plunged 20.11% on stable币 yield ban concerns in new US legislation. Intel and AMD rose over 7% on CPU supply shortages and planned price hikes. Today's focus: US jobless claims data, Fed speeches, and G7 foreign ministers' meeting outcomes. Continued monitoring of US-Iran negotiations is critical for oil and risk assets.

marsbit33 min fa

Bitget UEX Daily | US-Iran Negotiations Still Have Differences, but Ceasefire Expectations Boost US Stocks; Google's Cache Compression Technology Impacts Storage Sector

marsbit33 min fa

OpenAI Bets on 'Robot Army': 23-Year-Old Prodigy Wins Favor from Sam Altman

While OpenAI adjusts its video strategy, Sam Altman is setting his sights on the more ambitious field of "multi-agent systems." According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI has secretly invested in Isara, an AI startup founded by 23-year-old researchers Eddie Zhang and Henry Gasztowtt. Despite being established only in June last year in San Francisco, Isara has already recruited over a dozen top researchers from Google, Meta, and OpenAI itself, forming a highly skilled technical team. Isara’s core vision is to develop a system that enables thousands of AI agents to collaborate efficiently. While individual AI assistants are powerful, they often struggle with large-scale industrial challenges such as biotech R&D or complex financial modeling. Isara aims to solve this by creating a framework where diverse AI agents can communicate, align goals, share data, and tackle interconnected problems—functioning like a coordinated "robot army." This multi-agent approach is seen as a critical step toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). OpenAI’s endorsement signals industry recognition of distributed intelligence. In biopharma, the system could simulate thousands of protein-folding pathways, with specialized agents identifying patterns. In finance, it could perform real-time stress tests using global market data. Led by young innovators, this shift suggests the next breakthrough in AI lies not in building larger models, but in enabling smarter collective intelligence.

marsbit46 min fa

OpenAI Bets on 'Robot Army': 23-Year-Old Prodigy Wins Favor from Sam Altman

marsbit46 min fa

Trading

Spot

Futures