Traditional Hedge Funds Are Dabbling into Crypto
Nearly half of hedge funds focused on traditional asset classes now have exposure to cryptocurrencies as increased clarity around regulations and the launch of exchange-traded funds in the U.S. and Asia draw more investors into the asset class, according to a new survey.
Among hedge funds trading in traditional markets, 47% had exposure to digital assets, up from 29% in 2023 and 37% in 2022, according to the Global Crypto Hedge Fund Report published Thursday by the Alternative Investment Management Association and PwC. Among those funds that are already invested, 67% plan to maintain the same level of capital in crypto while the rest plan to invest more by the end of 2024, the survey found.
While many hedge funds first waded into crypto by trading tokens in the spot market, they are now increasingly deploying more sophisticated strategies. Among funds involved in crypto, 58% traded derivatives in 2024, up from 38% in 2023, while those trading in spot markets dropped to 25% this year after peaking at 69% last year, according to the report.
