UK Pension Firm Sees Growing Interest in Bitcoin Exposure

A financial firm that enabled a UK pension fund to put Bitcoin on its balance sheet told Decrypt that it’s seeing growing interest from other clients.

Arash Nasri, a senior investment consultant at Cartwright Pension Trusts, also revealed that wider industry reaction has been “surprisingly positive.”

The company helped an unnamed British client make a 3% allocation to the world’s largest cryptocurrency in November 2024—and according to Nasri, it secured a 60% return on investment in under 12 months.

Cartwright has now launched its first-ever “Annual Bitcoin Review,” which is designed “to raise awareness within the institutional community.”

When asked whether the pioneering pension fund would consider increasing its BTC allocation going forward, Nasri said: “If Bitcoin continues to produce the returns we anticipate, the decision will more likely be ‘when should we trim?'”

He added that discussions are ongoing with several other clients about following suit—but it’s crucial for pension funds to be fully informed about how Bitcoin works, and gradually build up an allocation with a long-term outlook.

Stressing that Cartwright doesn’t have any “skin in the game,” Nasri stressed: “We are independent advisers who have built a deep understanding of the potential impact of Bitcoin in coming years on individuals, companies, asset owners and governments. We see it as our fiduciary duty to investors to raise awareness.”

The investment consultant admitted there has been pushback from some skeptics within the British pensions industry, saying: “A common retort has been that Bitcoin’s price is too volatile. This is disappointing to hear as our industry should be experts in portfolio construction and position sizing.”

He also spoke out against “a lack of willingness from many in our industry to learn about an emerging form of money and a new technology which could (will, in our view) be hugely impactful to an investment portfolio and future returns.”

Beyond pension schemes

Nasri told Decrypt that Cartwright hasn’t just been encountering growing interest from pension schemes. Corporations are beginning to learn how Bitcoin can be used for 24/7 cross-border transactions and held as a reserve asset, while charities “are increasingly seeing it as another source for donations.”

Nonetheless, he stressed that Bitcoin might not be suitable for everyone.

“Bitcoin in a portfolio is not appropriate where the investment time horizon is short, but that still leaves hundreds of defined benefit schemes, all defined contribution schemes—and most charities and companies—that should be having a serious conversation about it,” he said.