OKX is intensifying its efforts to penetrate Australia’s retirement landscape, specifically targeting self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) with a newly launched platform tailored for these private retirement vehicles. On Sunday, the cryptocurrency exchange unveiled a service that allows individuals and small groups to have direct control over their savings, presenting an alternative to the traditionally dominant industry and retail funds in Australia’s pension system.
Kate Cooper, CEO of OKX Australia, highlighted the substantial growth in SMSF crypto holdings, which have soared sevenfold since 2021, now estimated at approximately $1.7 billion (US$1.1 billion) to $1.8 billion (US$1.2 billion). Cooper emphasized that this new platform was developed in collaboration with trustees and industry experts to include features such as custody services, multi-signature security, and proof-of-reserves reporting across a range of 22 tokens.
“This isn’t about chasing a trend; it’s about providing serious infrastructure for SMSF trustees choosing to include digital assets in their portfolios,” Cooper stated, noting that Australian SMSF trustees collectively manage funds surpassing those of most sovereign wealth funds. She expressed that they deserve solutions that meet enterprise-level standards.
The expansion is designed to simplify the inclusion of cryptocurrencies in retirement portfolios for both individual and corporate trustees. It addresses specific SMSF needs, incorporating necessary infrastructure for end-of-year reporting for audits, compliance checks, and services from an AUSTRAC-registered exchange.
Digital assets are noted as the fastest-growing segment within superannuation, with SMSF allocations in cryptocurrencies increasing by 746% between March 2020 and March 2025, as reported by OKX. SMSFs, which manage close to one-third of Australia’s A$4 trillion retirement pool, exhibit significant growth in digital asset holdings.
However, data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority indicates that total SMSF assets grew only 5.5% in the year leading up to June 2025. Though crypto allocations within these funds have surged from a modest base in the past five years, the broader expansion of SMSF savings has been considerably slower.
An Australian Tax Office report earlier this month revealed that self-managed super funds collectively held about A$3 billion (US$1.9 billion) in cryptocurrencies by midyear, representing less than 0.3% of their total assets and an even smaller fraction of the nation’s A$4.3 trillion pension system. Most SMSFs remain heavily invested in shares, cash, and real estate, with cryptocurrency allocations stable after a brief increase in early 2024.
Despite the cautious nature of SMSF investments, Cooper remains optimistic about the platform’s reception, predicting that OKX could onboard “thousands of SMSFs in the next 12 to 24 months,” many of which may transition from competing exchanges.
