South African asset management giant advises clients against over exposure to Bitcoin

South Africa’s Sygnia Ltd., a $20 billion asset manager, is urging clients to avoid concentrating their portfolios in Bitcoin (BTC) despite strong demand for its recently launched crypto fund, Bloomberg News reported on Sept. 22.

The Cape Town-based firm has advised investors not to commit more than 5% of their discretionary assets or retirement annuities to the Sygnia Life Bitcoin Plus fund, which tracks the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF.

The company said it intervenes when clients attempt to switch their full portfolios into the product, citing the extreme volatility of the underlying asset.

Bitcoin has surged 82% over the past year but slipped 2.75% on Monday to $112,100 as of press time.

Although market swings have moderated compared with a decade ago, sudden price movements still pose significant risks, particularly in emerging markets such as South Africa, where the average per capita income is far below that of advanced economies.

Sygnia launched its Bitcoin ETF in June and reported substantial inflows, reflecting growing enthusiasm among retail and institutional investors.

The firm plans to introduce additional crypto exchange-traded products on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange once regulatory barriers are resolved, following an earlier unsuccessful attempt.

While Sygnia now describes Bitcoin as a long-term investment opportunity rather than purely speculative, it continues to stress that crypto should remain a small component of a diversified strategy.

The company emphasized that Bitcoin is still highly volatile and warned that overexposure could lead to significant financial losses.

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