Harald Egger

As institutional investors seek to optimize portfolio performance in an evolving market landscape, digital assets are emerging as a potential tool for diversification and enhanced returns. With their low correlation to traditional asset classes, cryptocurrencies offer unique opportunities, yet challenges persist around volatility, speculative perceptions, and limited long-term data. This panel will explore how institutions can strategically integrate digital assets into their portfolios, balancing risks with the potential for enhanced diversification and returns. Speakers will examine crypto’s performance relative to traditional assets, discuss the implications for reshaping allocation frameworks like the 60/40 model, and weigh the pros and cons of various investment approaches.

• How do crypto products compare to traditional assets in terms of liquidity, correlation and return potential? 
• How can you analyse digital assets performance relative to traditional asset classes and what are the implications for portfolio diversification? 
• How can institutions rethink traditional allocation frameworks and the 60/40 model to incorporate digital assets? 
• Outlining the different investment approaches and the pros and cons to each, including market- neutral, long/shot and long-biased value picking.  
• How can altcoins fit into asset allocation, depth of market? Are asset managers looking at altcoins and what is the criteria? Which assets are they interested in? just top 5, or are they looking deeper? Understanding the investable univserse and their criteria for picking altcoins? Correlation between main coins and altcoins? That could potentially outperform main coins? What criteria do they use to pick altcoins? 
• What are the advantages of active management to provide more flexible risk controls compared to passive strategies? 

Examining ETF & ETP developments: How are ETF/ ETP issuers and providers evolving their product offerings to drive greater returns and increase digital asset market exposure for institutional investors? 

ETFs have provided a safe way for sophisticated investors to access the emerging crypto and blockchain market. But the question is now what the future holds for these products, and how they will continue to evolve to provide more yield enhancing opportunities. Speakers will examine ETF/ ETP regional differences, liquidity dynamics and new emerging products, including staking, options- based ETFs, and multi-asset baskets. 

• What are the regional differences in digital asset ETFs and ETPs? Examining US dominance in ETF flows vs Europe, differences in investor demand and types across regions, as well as regulatory fragmentation challenges in EU. 
• What are the differences between ETF/ ETP liquidity and the liquidity of the underlying assets? 
• What are the new emerging yield enhancing products that enable staking? 
• How can you leverage new ETFs/ETPs to give you broader thematic market exposure?  
• What has been the market response to the introduction of options- based bitcoin ETFs as a mechanism for hedging and alpha generation of institutional portfolios?