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Self Managed Super Fund cryptocurrency investment strategy

Easily invest in bitcoin and cryptocurrency through your SMSF

AUSTRAC Registered

As a registered digital currency exchange with AUSTRAC, Cointree complies with Australia's most stringent regulatory requirements. Your crypto SMSF investments remain safe, secure, and fully transparent.

Top Tier Security

We take security seriously - with advanced encryption, two-factor authentication, and rigorous protocols to protect your SMSF crypto investments. Whether you're investing in bitcoin, Ethereum, or other digital assets, your funds are safe with Cointree.

Trusted Exchange

Trusted by Australians since 2013, Cointree has helped thousands of crypto investors - including SMSF trustees - confidently buy, sell, and manage digital assets in a compliant, secure environment.

Get Ahead

Australia is diversifying their SMSF portfolios with crypto

Across Australia, self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees are increasingly looking to digital assets like bitcoin and Ethereum as part of their long-term investment strategy. Crypto offers a powerful way to diversify portfolios, improve liquidity, and take advantage of a high-growth asset class - all while staying in control of your retirement wealth.

Secure and Compliant

The better way to manage your SMSF cryptocurrency investment

Cointree is the trusted crypto exchange for SMSF investors in Australia. We help you set up your SMSF crypto trading account, provide easy access to major digital assets, and offer tax reporting tools to ensure full compliance with industry regulators.

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Send through your SMSF trust deed and relevant documentation with guided support from our team.

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Buy, sell, and manage your crypto SMSF portfolio across major digital assets instantly

  • Choose from top-performing coins
  • Track your portfolio in AUD
  • Integrated with BGL Simple Fund 360
  • Built for SMSF reporting

Secure and Compliant

Your best platform for SMSF in Australia

Cointree helps you create a compliant and tax-efficient crypto super fund. With expert support, real-time portfolio tracking, integrated reporting tools, and deep SMSF experience, our platform makes it simple to invest in crypto through your self-managed super fund.

Our SMSF Partners

Cointree has partnered with Accario to deliver seamless administration and audit solutions for SMSFs investing in cryptocurrencies. This partnership empowers trustees with expert support to stay compliant, reduce complexity, and streamline their SMSF operations.

Cointree has integrated with BGL’s award-winning Simple Fund 360 platform to simplify cryptocurrency investing for SMSFs. This integration enables seamless data flow between platforms, reducing manual work and helping trustees manage their compliance, reporting, and portfolio tracking.

What is your fund's investment strategy?

**In Australia, every SMSF must have an explicit investment strategy that outlines the specific types of investments it can make. If you're planning to invest in digital assets as part of your fund, then your fund must ensure crypto is listed in the assets included in your SMSF. The strategy document outlines your plans for buying, trading and selling different investments to meet your retirement goals.** As the ATO recommends that it's tailored to your specific circumstances, it can explain how cryptocurrency fits within your portfolio and the role you expect it to play, such as diversification, liquidity, or generating outsized returns. You must also regularly review your SMSF strategy and formulate any necessary changes, as the ATO states. We've designed our platform to quickly and easily give you an overview of your portfolio and current holdings to make this process as seamless as possible for you.

Frequently Asked SMSF Questions

At [Cointree](https://www.cointree.com/), we've helped guide tens of thousands of Australians through setting up their accounts, helping them get started in the world of blockchain technology, and answering any questions that arise. As a result, we're well aware of the most frequently asked questions regarding SMSFs, from setting up a Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF) account to super and tax laws.

Can you buy bitcoin in a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF)?

Yes, you can buy bitcoin as an investment for your SMSF account. As stated by the Australian Tax Office, you can invest in bitcoin as long as it's allowed under the funds trust deed, is in accordance with the fund's investment strategy, and complies with any regulations. In Australia, SMSFs must ensure compliance with the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act and Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is ultimately responsible for compliance.

Can you buy other cryptocurrencies with Self Managed Super Funds?

Yes, the same as bitcoin, the crypto asset class can be part of your fund's investment strategy. You can buy, sell and trade a range of digital assets on our exchange. Assets listed on our exchange include bitcoin, Ethereum and 280 plus other leading digital assets.

Is crypto a safe place for my retirement savings?

For the decade between 2011 and 2021, cryptocurrency was the best performing asset class. While it was an emerging industry, it was considered more speculative and didn't attract significant investments from SMSF trustees. Now that the asset class is maturing, many SMSFs have started to invest heavily. With the associated regulations and the overall regulatory requirements now much clearer, many investors in the superannuation industry consider bitcoin and [other cryptocurrencies](https://www.cointree.com/trade/cryptocurrencies/) to be a worthwhile investment. Many investors manage their risks through the size of their allocation to crypto investments and are focused on ensuring compliance and understand the difference between the [crypto vs stock market](https://www.cointree.com/learn/cryptocurrency-exchange-vs-stock-exchange/). As always, past performance does not guarantee future performance and you should always seek financial advice from a licensed Self Managed Super professional.

Are there any investment restrictions on SMSFs?

Yes. There are some restrictions that SMSFs must abide by when investing in cryptocurrencies. Firstly, as the ATO has stated, SMSFs are prohibited from intentionally acquiring assets from related parties, including your partner, children, business partner or relatives. Secondly, the assets in your funds must be held separately from your personal assets. Luckily, at Cointree, it's easy to set up a separate account for your SMSF. Thirdly, all investments must be allowed under the fund's deed and fit their strategy. For any financial guidance for your SMSF, make sure you consult a licensed professional.

Do SMSFs have to pay capital gains tax on cryptocurrency?

Unfortunately, yes. SMSFs must pay capital gains on cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies are considered capital gains assets and SMSFs must comply with the same regulations as they do when transacting with any other capital gains assets.

Can you help me set up a fund's trust deed?

We can help you get set up with everything you need so you can start investing in crypto with an SMSF, including setting u your trust deed. We can make sure you have the right account type and that your account is kept under your SMSF name rather than your personal name, we can help you find the right digital asset, and give you all the details you need to transfer funds from your bank account to the exchange to make a purchase.

What is the sole-purpose test?

SMSFs must be run for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for fund members. What this generally means, according to the ATO, is that SMSF trustees or the fund members cannot directly or indirectly obtain a financial benefit when investing on behalf of the SMSF.

How does the Australian tax office treat crypto?

The ATO has determined that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not money but instead are capital gains assets for an SMSF. That means you must keep records of when you acquire or dispose of crypto assets for your SMSF, as you may incur a [tax liability](https://www.cointree.com/learn/pay-tax-cryptocurrency-australia/). Luckily, we've integrated a number of tools into our platform and partnered with SMSF experts so that you can quickly and easily determine your tax obligations for your Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF).

How can I custody my digital assets?

You can custody your assets on our platform with your free multi-coin wallet. With two factor authentication and our rigorous security protocols, you can keep the assets of your crypto SMSF secure while still making it easy to trade cryptocurrency. This is a popular method, as it streamlines the process for super funds to audit the crypto holdings in their SMSF account. Alternatively, you can self-custody each crypto asset. This typically includes a secure hardware crypto wallet with a single or multiple vaults to store parts of all of your seed phrase. For more information, see our article on the [best bitcoin wallet Australia](https://www.cointree.com/learn/best-bitcoin-wallet-australia/).

Where should I seek professional advice?

You should always consult a licensed professional when seeking financial advice. At Cointree, we have collaborated with ExpertSuper to help bring trustworthy information to your users, and have integrated our platform with BGL Simple Fund 360 to help make your reporting requirements fast and efficient.

Are cryptocurrencies considered listed securities?

For a super fund, investing in cryptocurrency can be an exciting prospect. It's important to note that not all cryptocurrencies are the same. Certain protocols like Compound (COMP) have been designed to be more like a traditional security, while others like bitcoin (BTC) have been created to mirror the features of a commodity. To be certain of any distinctions, always consult a licensed professional.