Colombia’s second-largest private pension and severance fund manager, AFP Protección, is getting ready to introduce an investment product that includes exposure to Bitcoin.

Juan David Correa, president of Protección SA, confirmed the plan in an interview with local outlet Valora Analitik. He explained that access to the fund will be restricted and available only through an individualized advisory process aimed at evaluating each client’s risk profile. Only investors who meet predefined criteria will be able to allocate part of their portfolios to Bitcoin.

“The most important element is diversification,” Correa noted, adding that “those who can participate will find a space for a percentage of their portfolio, if they so wish, to be exposed to this type of asset.”

The announcement follows a similar move by Skandia Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones y Cesantías, which added Bitcoin exposure to one of its portfolios in September last year. With this step, Protección becomes the second major pension fund administrator in Colombia to enter the digital asset space.

Core pension strategy remains unchanged

Protección emphasized that the planned Bitcoin-linked fund does not alter how the majority of pension assets are managed. Fixed income securities, equities and other conventional investments will continue to form the backbone of Colombian pension portfolios. The Bitcoin exposure is being positioned strictly as an optional diversification tool for eligible investors.

Founded in 1991, AFP Protección oversees more than 220 trillion Colombian pesos, or roughly $55 billion, on behalf of over 8.5 million clients across mandatory and voluntary pension schemes as well as severance accounts. Across the broader market, Colombia’s mandatory pension system held 527.3 trillion pesos in assets as of November 2025, with close to half invested outside the country.

Tighter crypto oversight in Colombia

The fund launch comes as Colombia moves to strengthen regulatory oversight of the cryptocurrency sector. Earlier this month, the country’s tax authority, DIAN, introduced mandatory reporting requirements for crypto service providers, including exchanges, custodians and intermediaries.

The new rules align Colombia with the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, enabling automatic cross-border sharing of crypto-related tax information. Under the framework, service providers must submit user identification and transaction data, adhere to due diligence and valuation standards, and face penalties if they fail to comply.

Sources:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-21/colombia-moves-to-cap-pension-funds-overseas-holdings-at-30

https://cbonds.com/company/512045/#:~:text=Profile,de%20Pensiones%20y%20Cesant%C3%ADa%20S.A.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/colombia-second-largest-pension-fund-bitcoin-exposure

https://x.com/ValoraAnalitik/status/2014353904410952137