Kate Cooper, chief executive of OKX, told SMSF Adviser there has been a “clear rise” in inquiries from “digitally engaged” SMSF trustees, especially in the 35–55 age range, but younger trustees and wealth managers have also shown interest.
OKX this week launched an SMSF expansion on its crypto platform in Australia, enabling both individual and corporate SMSF trustees to integrate digital assets into their portfolios.
Cooper said OKX consulted extensively with trustees and industry professionals during development, identifying regulatory uncertainty and operational complexity as key barriers to crypto adoption in the SMSF space.
The expansion is purpose-built for SMSFs, providing secure infrastructure for trustees to buy, manage and report on digital assets and includes intuitive dashboards for transaction and portfolio monitoring, exportable end-of-financial-year reports, and AUSTRAC-registered digital currency exchange services across major assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
“Compliance is an obligation that can’t be outsourced from the trustees; what we’ve done is made it as easy as possible for trustees to get the data required to meet their obligations. We encourage all trustees to take appropriate advice,” Cooper said.
“Our crypto platform includes some features that are commonly requested by SMSF trustees and their advisers like institutional-grade crypto custody, with proof-of-reserves for 20+ major assets, automated exportable end-of-financial-year reporting in formats often used by accountants and auditors, world-class technical infrastructure, and portfolio tracking dashboards that can assist trustees with visibility of their holdings.”
She added that there are also local Australian onboarding specialists available to help with account setup and platform queries, and the platform supports exportable transaction and balance records that may assist trustees and advisers in preparing for an audit.
According to government statistics, digital assets are the nation’s fastest-growing superannuation segment, increasing 746 per cent from March 2020 through March 2025.
Nearly 28 per cent of Australia’s retirement savings flow through SMSFs, roughly a quarter of Australia’s $4 trillion superannuation system.
“Recent industry sources indicate that for younger trustees and smaller funds, crypto allocations in SMSFs often reach four per cent to 10 per cent of total assets. It’s also worth noting that, nationally, the data shows total SMSF crypto holdings have surged sevenfold since 2020, suggesting a rising trajectory,” Cooper said.
“And the feedback we’re getting is that the vast majority of our SMSF onboarding customers are looking to hold crypto for the long term rather than actively trading short-term volatility.”
She continued that bitcoin is the most frequently traded and held asset on the OKX platform, followed by Ethereum and other established assets such as Solana.
“This isn’t about chasing a trend, it’s about providing serious infrastructure for SMSF trustees choosing to include digital assets in their portfolios. Australian SMSF trustees manage more money than most sovereign wealth funds. They deserve enterprise-level solutions,” Cooper added.
The launch follows the establishment of the SMSF Innovation Council, an industry-led forum focused on knowledge-sharing and responsible discussion of digital assets among superannuation professionals.
