Colombia’s AFP Protección to Launch Bitcoin Fund for Qualified Investors

Highlights:

• AFP Protección to launch Bitcoin-linked investment fund for selected Colombian pension clients.
• The access is restricted through a personalized advisory service that evaluates the risk and diversification requirements of the investors.
• Protección joins Skandia as the second large pension fund to offer a Bitcoin exposure option.

Colombia’s second-largest pension fund, AFP Protección, plans to launch a new fund with limited Bitcoin (BTC) exposure. It manages $55 billion in assets and serves nearly 8.5 million clients, so its decisions can strongly influence Colombian investors. The Bitcoin fund will follow strict rules and careful controls. Investors will only get access through a personal advisory review that checks finances, goals, and risk comfort. Only suitable profiles will be allowed to invest a small share in Bitcoin.

💥 En primicia, Valora Analitik conoció que Protección se prepara para lanzar desde Colombia un fondo con exposición a Bitcoin. El producto no estará enfocado en la especulación de corto plazo, sino en ampliar las opciones de diversificación con una gestión integral de riesgos y… pic.twitter.com/nAO8mbsTLi

— Valora Analitik (@ValoraAnalitik) January 22, 2026

Protección’s president, Juan David Correa, shared these details in an interview. He noted that the focus stays on diversification and risk control. Bitcoin is meant to support traditional assets like stocks, bonds, and savings, not replace them, and remain a long-term allocation.

However, qualified investors will have allocation limits. They cannot invest huge amounts of money in Bitcoin to keep their exposure small and diversified. Correa emphasized the significance of diversification. He explained that diversifying investments in various assets can help safeguard savings from large market declines.

Colombian Funds Follow Global Trend in Bitcoin Adoption

This approach follows a growing global trend among pension funds. In the US, large funds have gained Bitcoin exposure through regulated products like Bitcoin exchange-traded funds. For example, CalSTRS, the third-largest public pension fund, indirectly placed about $133 million into Bitcoin through Strategy.

Similar moves have appeared in states like Wisconsin and Michigan with crypto-focused funds. The same pattern is seen in the UK and Australia, where some pension funds hold small Bitcoin exposure through funds or derivatives.

Growing Crypto Interest in Colombia Signals Cautious Expansion

Protección’s decision comes after a similar move by Skandia Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones y Cesantías, which started offering Bitcoin exposure in one of its portfolios in September last year. With this launch, Protección becomes the second large pension fund operator in Colombia to step into digital assets. This move highlights rising interest from institutional investors in cryptocurrency, even though wide use in mandatory pension funds remains unlikely.

Earlier in January, a mandatory framework was introduced by Colombia’s tax agency, DIAN, to report user and transaction data by crypto service providers. The country aligned its rules with the Crypto Asset Reporting Framework developed by the OECD. The crypto service providers must report user information, perform due diligence, and comply with valuation rules to avoid penalties.

At the time of publication, BTC is trading near $89,000. Data from CoinMarketCap shows it has stayed below the key $100k level since Nov. 13. Market pressure is rising as sentiment weakens. U.S.-listed Bitcoin ETFs recorded outflows for five straight days. Friday alone saw $103.5 million leave the market. Weekly outflows reached about $1.72 billion, according to Farside.