The fund ranks third in Australia by member count and fifth by total assets. Its membership of 2.2 million gives any policy shift significant reach across the country’s retirement system.
A Gap The Big Funds Left OpenUntil now, Self-Managed Super Funds have been the main path for Australians wanting crypto in their retirement savings. These are accounts set up and run by individuals — a hands-on alternative to conventional institution-managed funds.
The sharp rise in SMSF registrations tracked by crypto exchange BTC Markets points to how many savers have been willing to take on that administrative burden just to gain access to digital assets.
Kate Cooper, the Australian chief executive of OKX, recently said that a growing number of new SMSFs are being created specifically to hold digital assets — because the option simply doesn’t exist inside the major funds.
Hostplus would not be the first big super fund to enter this space. AMP made that move back in May 2024, adding Bitcoin exposure to its strategy through futures contracts. Hostplus is following a path that has at least one set of footprints on it already.
The plan is not finalized. Sicilia said regulatory clearance is still needed, and the fund is prepared to wait for it.
“We’d love to get regulatory tick-off, even if it means waiting another six months,” he said, adding that six months is not a meaningful delay for an institution built around long-term investing.
Australia’s total superannuation pool stood at roughly $4.5 trillion AUD at the end of the September 2025 quarter — a number that underscores how much weight any shift in fund behavior carries for the broader financial system.
Featured image from MarkRubens/Getty Images, chart from TradingView
