Wealthy Asian investors target 5% of portfolios in crypto as adoption broadens
Wealthy families and family offices across Asia are increasing allocations to cryptocurrencies, with some planning to devote roughly 5% of their portfolios to digital assets as broader institutional and regulatory momentum builds in the region.
Advisors and exchanges report a steady rise in inquiries and trading activity from high-net-worth clients. UBS and other wealth managers say younger, second- and third-generation family members are playing a key role in driving the shift from experimental, small allocations toward more meaningful crypto exposure. Regulatory developments and greater product choice — including spot ETFs and stablecoin frameworks in key markets — have also helped normalize crypto as a mainstream portfolio component.
Private fund activity illustrates the trend: managers in Singapore and elsewhere have been able to raise large sums quickly for crypto strategies. One long-short crypto equity vehicle launched in Singapore drew more than $100 million within months, following a predecessor fund that delivered outsized gains. This appetite for specialist funds reflects growing institutional-style allocations from family offices and wealthy individuals.
At the same time, regional adoption remains broad. Chainalysis data show Central and Southern Asia and Oceania recorded more than $750 billion in crypto inflows between mid-2023 and mid-2024, driven largely by retail activity across countries such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam — underscoring that the new wave of wealthy investors is joining an already active grassroots market.
Exchanges and market-data providers are seeing the effects: Hong Kong’s HashKey Exchange reported a large year-on-year jump in registered users, and trading volumes on South Korea’s major platforms have climbed, signaling stronger participation from both retail and professional traders across Asia.
The combined picture is one of gradual institutionalization: while much growth in the region has been retail-led to date, increasing allocations from family offices and the rise of regulated products are shifting capital toward more formalized, larger-scale crypto exposure. For wealth managers and exchanges, that creates both opportunity and new demands for compliance, custody and sophisticated investment tools.
