Asia’s Elite Bet Big on Crypto: Here’s Why!

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Dear reader, prepare yourself for a tale of fiscal intrigue and digital derring-do. It appears that more than half of Asia’s well-heeled investors, those chaps with pockets deeper than the Mariana Trench, have decided to plunge headfirst into the cryptocurrency pool. Yes, you heard it right-Bitcoin, Ether, and their blockchain buddies are becoming the toast of the town.

According to Sygnum’s APAC HNWI Report 2025 (a snappy title, if I do say so myself), six out of ten high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in Asia are gearing up to increase their crypto stash over the next few years. The surveyed lot included 270 HNWIs with more than $1 million in investable assets and professional investors with over ten years of experience across ten APAC countries. Singapore took the lion’s share, with Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand tagging along for the ride.

The findings revealed that a staggering 90% of these HNWIs view digital assets as crucial for long-term wealth preservation and legacy planning, not just as speculative fodder. As Gerald Goh, Sygnum co-founder and APAC CEO, put it,

“Digital assets are now firmly embedded within APAC’s private wealth ecosystem.”

He added,

“Despite near-term macro uncertainty, we continue to see accelerating adoption driven by strategic portfolio diversification, intergenerational wealth planning, and demand for institutional-grade products.”

This, dear reader, marks a seismic shift from crypto as a speculative asset to an institutional wealth management product. The times, they are a-changin’.

More than half of portfolios hold over 10% crypto

The survey reported that 87% of Asian HNWIs already hold crypto, with around half allocating more than 10% of their portfolios to these digital darlings. The average portfolio allocation is a robust 17%. Moreover, 87% of investors said they would ask their private bank or adviser to add crypto services if offered through regulated partners.

Meanwhile, 80% of active investors reported holdings in blockchain protocol tokens like Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Solana (SOL). The most common reason for investing, according to 56% of respondents, was portfolio diversification. Because who doesn’t love a bit of variety in their financial garden? 🌱

Goh noted that the 17% portfolio allocation shows that HNWIs have a “different psychology” than the “2017’s ‘get rich quick’ mentality.”

“These aren’t speculators – they’re investors with 10-20 year time horizons thinking about intergenerational wealth transfer,”

he told CryptoMoon.

APAC regulations foster stronger institutional involvement

When asked whether Asia’s crypto regulations have been more restrictive, Goh argued that Asia’s crypto regulation has been more “specific and deliberate” than that of other jurisdictions.

“MAS in Singapore has been extraordinarily thoughtful. Yes, they’ve tightened licensing requirements, increased capital buffers, and restricted retail access.”

“But they’ve also created genuine clarity on custody standards, operational requirements, and investor protections. What looks ‘restrictive’ is actually rigorous institution-building. The tradeoff is fewer service providers can meet the bar-but the ones that do are genuinely institutional-grade,”

he said, adding that Hong Kong is now treading a similar path.

So there you have it, folks. The cryptocurrency craze is not just a passing fad but a full-blown financial revolution. And if the wealthy of Asia are anything to go by, the future is looking decidedly digital. 🚀

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2025-12-11 03:17