This article is an edited extract from the Professional Planner ‘Guide on Financial Advice in 2026’, download the full copy of the guide here.
Produced in partnership with Swyftx
A decade has passed since Bitcoin grabbed the attention of the global investment community yet, in Australia, knowledge and understanding of cryptocurrency and digital assets remains relatively limited.
Moving into 2026, financial advisers should expect a spike in questions about digital assets, driven by technology adoption and structural changes in global markets.
The most obvious is the proliferation of digital asset funds including BlackRock’s successful Bitcoin ETF.
In the US, the Trump Administration’s pro-crypto stance is also driving innovation and positive change.
The US Administration’s Clarity Act is also expected to pass imminently, delivering regulatory certainty to the digital asset industry and accelerating the tokenisation of financial systems.
The implication for Australian advisers is that building a framework to discuss digital assets is becoming more important. This involves gaining an in-depth understanding of how this asset class is starting to replace systems across financial services and other industries.
Better than digital gold
Bitcoin is often described as digital gold, but that framing undersells its distinct characteristics. As a global, decentralised, non-sovereign asset with a fixed supply, Bitcoin exhibits risk and return drivers that differ materially from traditional asset classes, which is why clients are asking where it fits in a portfolio.
Another factor that makes cryptocurrency unique is its dominant retail investor-base.
Typically, investment trends are driven by institutional investors like superannuation funds, endowments and sovereign wealth funds.
However, self-directed retail investors have led the cryptocurrency charge from the start.
Globally, around 700 million retail investors directly hold cryptocurrency including around 21 per cent of Australian investors.
This has created an unusual dynamic where retail investors often have a deeper practical understanding of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency than professional investors, highlighting the enormous need for advisers to step up and close the crypto-service gap.
It also highlights the significant opportunity advisers have to provide leadership in this area and develop a deep specialisation that distinguishes their practice.
Advisers must be able to discuss not just the risks of digital assets, but also price behaviour and return drivers, because that is ultimately what clients care about. Clients want to understand whether digital assets belong in their portfolio, what role they might play, what returns they can potentially target, and how to access them responsibly.
This requires a sound understanding of the technology underpinning the utility of digital assets which, in turn, drives investment and growth.
This knowledge will become increasingly important as the baby boomers pass their wealth to future generations who are more interested in non-traditional assets.
As Australia’s $3.5 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer accelerates, advice businesses that cannot engage credibly on digital assets risk losing relevance with the next generation of clients.
Fighting for legitimacy
To provide responsible, prudential and compliant client access, the digital asset and traditional finance (TradFi) community must work to overcome risks by establishing industry guardrails. While standard for other asset classes, these have largely not yet been built for digital assets.
The question isn’t if digital assets will become mainstream, or even when digital assets will become mainstream, but who will play a leading role in forming these guardrails.
Every participant in the ecosystem from digital currency exchanges like Swyftx to fund managers and regulators have a role to play.
Digital assets are no longer an emerging curiosity. They are becoming embedded in global financial infrastructure. Advisers who engage now, build genuine expertise, and help shape responsible access will be well placed to serve clients with confidence. Those who don’t risk watching the crypto-service gap widen further.
Andrew McPhee is financial services industry lead at Swyftx.
