47% of traditional hedge funds maintain crypto exposure: Report

A survey reveals that almost half of traditional hedge funds have exposure to digital assets, with increased global regulatory clarity boosting confidence.

Increasing regulatory clarity around spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States and Asia has encouraged almost half of traditional hedge funds to obtain exposure to digital assets.

A survey conducted by the Alternative Investment Management Association and PwC revealed that 47% of hedge fund managers trading in traditional markets have exposure to cryptocurrencies, according to a Bloomberg report.

Crypto exposure was 29% in 2023, while about 37% of the 100 hedge fund survey respondents said they had exposure to crypto in 2022.

Regulatory clarity promotes crypto adoption

James Delaney, managing director of asset management regulation at AIMA, said global regulatory clarity was “boosting confidence” of hedge funds in crypto:

“The findings from this year’s report indicate a steady recovery in confidence over the past year.”

Additionally, all traditional hedge funds currently involved with crypto plan to maintain or expand their positions. While 67% plan to keep their crypto investments steady, the remaining 33% expect to increase their exposure in the near future.

Hedge funds used various strategies to gain exposure to crypto. According to the report, 58% traded derivatives, while 25% traded tokens in the spot market. Although derivatives have increased, spot market trading dropped by more than 50% compared to 2023.

Edward Chin, co-founder of Parataxis Capital Management, an investment firm focused on digital assets, highlighted the possibility of generating significantly higher returns in comparison to traditional asset markets:

“The application of traditional investment strategies can generate much higher returns in crypto given the market is less efficient.”

Still, 76% of hedge fund managers with no crypto exposure said they are unlikely to adopt digital assets in the next three years.

Some traditional hedge funds stick to traditional mindset

The report noted that two-thirds of conventional hedge funds do not plan to incorporate spot Bitcoin BTC ETFs into their current digital asset strategies.

Arijit Sarkar / Cointelegraph