Key Takeaways
- It emphasised that crypto exposure will remain strictly optional and limited to clients whose financial profiles demonstrate appropriate risk capacity.
- It intends to screen potential participants through a comprehensive advisory framework evaluating income levels, retirement objectives, and tolerance for volatility before permitting any Bitcoin allocation.
In a major move, AFP Proteccion, which administers approximately $55 billion in retirement assets for 8.5 million Colombians, is developing a Bitcoin-focused investment vehicle that will be available exclusively through individualised financial counseling.
Juan David Correa, president of Proteccion SA, disclosed the planned launch during a conversation with Valora Analitik, emphasising that crypto exposure will remain strictly optional and limited to clients whose financial profiles demonstrate appropriate risk capacity.
Under the move, the pension manager intends to screen potential participants through a comprehensive advisory framework evaluating income levels, retirement objectives, and tolerance for volatility before permitting any Bitcoin allocation. Correa made clear that crypto holdings would constitute a minor portion of qualifying investors’ overall portfolios rather than a primary investment strategy.
Colombia’s mandatory pension system held 527.3 trillion pesos as of November 2025, with international investments accounting for roughly half of total assets under management.
Proteccion’s Bitcoin initiative also follows a precedent set by Skandia Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones y Cesantias, which introduced crypto exposure through one of its portfolio offerings in September. The move positions Proteccion as the second major Colombian pension fund to incorporate digital assets into its product lineup.
Looking ahead, Proteccin anticipates Colombian GDP growth between 2.5% and 3% this year, though persistent inflation pressures could prompt additional central bank rate increases. Internationally, potential U.S. interest rate reductions and continuing geopolitical tensions represent additional variables that could influence portfolio performance. The development assumes significance as Proteccion ranks as Colombia’s second-largest private pension and severance fund manager.
Traditional assets including fixed income securities and equities will continue dominating pension portfolios despite the Bitcoin option’s introduction. In its announcement, Proteccion emphasised the cryptocurrency product represents an additional choice for specific investors rather than a fundamental shift in pension management philosophy.
The announcement comes weeks after Colombia’s tax authority DIAN implemented mandatory reporting requirements for crypto service providers. The new framework compels exchanges, custodians, and intermediaries to collect and transmit user identification and transaction details to tax officials. DIAN’s resolution aligns Colombia with the OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, establishing infrastructure for automatic international exchange of crypto tax information.
