South Korean Pension Fund Says No Plans to Invest in Crypto—For Now

The South Korean National Pension Service (NPS) has clarified that it has no current plans to invest directly in cryptoassets, despite recent investments in crypto-related stocks. According to Money Today, the NPS explained that its purchases of Coinbase and MicroStrategy shares were made “automatically” through index management tools that track the Morgan Stanley Capital International Index (MSCI).

While the pension fund bought $20 million worth of Coinbase shares last year and invested $33.75 million in MicroStrategy this past August, it stressed that these purchases were part of its broader investment strategy, not a targeted move into crypto.

“We have no intention of investing in cryptoassets,” the NPS stated, clarifying that Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptoassets are not part of its investment targets.

The NPS was responding to a query from lawmaker Baek Jong-heon, a member of the ruling People Power Party, who had asked for details about the pension fund’s indirect involvement in crypto through its stock investments.

Although the NPS does not currently restrict investment in crypto-related companies, it noted that if the Fund Management Committee wished to impose such limits, it could create a restriction plan. For now, no such restrictions exist, leaving the door open for future investments in companies connected to the crypto market.

Lawmaker Baek urged the pension fund to closely review its crypto investment policies, citing the need to manage risks and account for the market’s volatility.