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Gibraltar ranks No3 in the world for crypto hedge fund managers

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A new report into the global crypto hedge fund landscape from PwC and Elwood Asset Management has shown Gibraltar as the third most popular jurisdiction for crypto hedge fund managers, behind only the US and UK.Gibraltar, which is also listed as having the fourth highest number of domiciled crypto hedge funds, puts the jurisdiction ahead of financial centres such as Singapore, Malta, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Switzerland and many others, despite its relative size.

 
This news is backed up by one of the jurisdiction’s leading crypto and funds law firms, ISOLAS LLP, which continues to work with leading crypto funds, managers and exchanges who choose Gibraltar for its regulatory approach, specifically its Core Principles based DLT regulations.
 
The data in the report points to significant growth in the Crypto Hedge Fund industry in Gibraltar, as in the previous guide (2019) the jurisdiction was unranked on both indicators.
 
The report, compiled from data gathered in the first quarter of the year, provides an overview of the global crypto hedge fund landscape and examines both quantitative indicators, such as liquidity, and qualitative aspects, such as custody and governance best practice.
 
Jonathan Garcia, Partner at ISOLAS LLP, says: “Gibraltar has a great legal and regulatory landscape for crypto funds, evidenced by this report. The indicators put further weight behind Gibraltar’s growing status as a ‘go-to’ financial market. The jurisdiction’s strength is derived from its robust and dynamic regulatory framework thanks to our size, coupled with the willingness of regulators to consider input from external industry experts.”
 
In the rest of the world, the report showed that the overall Assets Under Management (AuM) by Crypto Hedge Funds doubled to USD2 billion in the last year. Over the same period, the industry saw the percentage of crypto hedge funds with an AuM of over USD20 million increased in 2019 from 19 per cent to 35 per cent, broadly in keeping with the overall trends of Crypto Hedge Funds getting larger, with average AuM increased from USD21.9 million to USD44 million, while median AuM increased from USD4.3 million to USD8.2 million.
 
Garcia adds: “The report doesn’t just signal growing of interest in the sector in Gibraltar but points towards impressive overall growth. This is a sign of confidence in the Crypto Hedge Fund industry as a whole and points to greater institutional confidence in the market, something that is very important as crypto joins the ranks of established asset classes.
 
“For Gibraltar to have a growing share of a quickly growing market is extremely encouraging news and a testament to the creativity of all involved in the sector, not least to our dedicated and innovative team here at ISOLAS.”
 
Luke Walsh, a director and crypto-lead at PwC Gibraltar, says: “The PwC Crypto Hedge Fund Report provides an overview of the global crypto hedge fund landscape and offers insights into the industry. Gibraltar’s prominent position with regards to the percentage of funds and fund managers located in the jurisdiction adds to our positive reputation and further cements our place as a global player in the crypto industry.
 
“The jurisdiction’s fund offering is attractive to crypto funds looking for a crypto friendly jurisdiction that welcomes regulation and continues to attract global crypto entities.”
 
Garcia says: “It’s well known that Gibraltar led the way in respect of DLT and VASP regulation years ago, and the regulated DLT firms we have been able to attract show this quite clearly. However, it is also great to see that the work we have conducted in defining specific focus points and codes of practice for virtual asset denominated funds has led to an increase in the jurisdiction placing itself as a leader in the funds space.
 
“As a domicile for funds in this space, it makes a huge difference having lawyers, accountants, banks and fund administrators that firmly understand the technology and asset class, and are able to deal with the intricacies that come with it.”

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