In brief:
₿- Private investors across Asia are increasingly allocating their portfolios to cryptocurrency, marking a shift from retail-driven adoption to institutional and high-net-worth participation.
₿- Crypto trading and development are surging, with exchanges reporting higher volumes, new funds attracting strong demand, and the region now accounting for 32% of active crypto developers.
High-net-worth families across Asia are increasingly turning to cryptocurrency, with some planning to allocate around 5% of their portfolios to digital assets. The trend, reported by Reuters, highlights a shift in adoption beyond traditional retail-driven growth, as family offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, and mainland China embrace crypto for wealth preservation and portfolio diversification.
Rising Trading Volumes Across Asia
Wealth managers in the region report a growing number of inquiries from clients interested in cryptocurrency exposure. Meanwhile, exchanges are experiencing rising trading volumes, and new crypto funds are attracting strong investor demand.
Jason Huang, founder of NextGen Digital Venture, noted that his Singapore-based long-short crypto equity fund raised over $100 million within months of its May 2025 launch, following a previous fund that returned 375% in under two years. Swiss bank UBS highlighted that second- and third-generation family office members are increasingly participating in digital assets, signaling broader adoption among wealthy investors.
Exchanges across Asia are seeing significant growth. Hong Kong’s HashKey Exchange reported an 85% year-on-year increase in registered users by August 2025. In South Korea, trading volumes across the country’s three major exchanges rose 17% this year, with average daily volumes climbing over 20%, according to CryptoQuant. The growth reflects a move from retail-led activity toward professional and institutional participation.
Retail-Driven Growth in Southeast Asia
Historically, Asia’s crypto boom has been driven by retail investors. Chainalysis data shows that Central, Southern Asia, and Oceania (CSAO) regions recorded over $750 billion in inflows from mid-2023 to mid-2024, accounting for 16.6% of global volume. India led global adoption, followed by Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, with retail users fueling trading, remittances, and decentralized finance (DeFi). Singapore also emerged as a hub for crypto payments, processing nearly $1 billion in transactions during Q2 2024, primarily through stablecoins.
East Asia Shifts Toward Institutional and Wealthy Investors
East Asia tells a different story, with nearly $400 billion in activity over the same period driven by professional and wealthy investors. South Korea, the region’s largest market, saw significant trading in altcoins and stablecoins. Hong Kong’s crypto activity surged 85.6%, boosted by the approval of Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in April 2024. In China, OTC and P2P platforms became popular among wealthy citizens seeking to preserve assets and move funds abroad, especially during economic uncertainty.
Asia’s role in crypto development is also expanding. The region now accounts for 32% of active crypto developers, up from 12% in 2015, with 41% of new developers originating from Asia. As wealthy investors increasingly adopt digital assets, the region is cementing its position as a key driver of the global crypto market.
Stay informed,
Rodcas Consulting Group