UBS sees 5% crypto allocation trend among richest family offices

The recent turmoil in the markets has shaken the confidence of investors across the globe, and a large number of them are now rethinking their investment strategies in the wake of the tariff war.The phenomenon is quite evident in Asia where ultra-rich clients are exploring alternative investment options such as cryptocurrency and gold.This is exactly what Amy Lo, co-head of wealth management for Asia at the UBS Group, emphasized at a recent event. UBS Group is a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services company. It is the world's largest private bank, which counts several billionaires among its clients.Lo said that high-net-worth investors in Asia are retreating from assets tied to the U.S. dollar and allocating funds into crypto, gold, and Chinese assets.A lot of traditional family offices are now looking at allocating 5% of their funds into crypto. Therefore, traditional banks like UBS need to ensure that they are ready to "take on this opportunity," Lo underlined.️WATCH: #UBS Bank says clients are allocating up to 5% to #crypto - preparing their platform to meet rising #demand. pic.twitter.com/etda6L41LS— Roundtable Network (@RTB_io) May 13, 2025Lo also highlighted the popularity of gold as investors treat it as a safe haven asset. Besides, its price has touched record highs this year.The Asia head added that the way the U.S.-China tariff war sent shockwaves into the markets, investors are mulling diversifying their investment portfolios outside their traditionally U.S.-centered asset allocations. "Volatility will definitely continue." Lo warned. Note that President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on all countries on Apr. 2 before announcing a 90-day freeze for all except China on Apr. 9. The two countries recently reached a temporary deal as both lowered tariffs on imports from each other.Lo was speaking at the Bloomberg New Voices event in Hong Kong when she made the above observations.