South Korea’s National Pension Service Considers Direct Bitcoin Investments

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS) is contemplating direct investments in Bitcoin. Key points include:

NPS manages over $800 billion in assets.
Legislation now allows national pension funds to invest in cryptocurrencies.
Political leaders, including Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, support digital asset integration and potential approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs.
NPS currently has indirect crypto exposure via investments in MicroStrategy and Coinbase, totaling over $79 million in 2024 alone.
Growing interest in cryptocurrencies among older South Koreans: 11% of crypto investors are in their 60s.

This combination of legislative support, political backing, and changing investor demographics indicates a move towards cryptocurrency inclusion in NPS's investment strategy.