Arizona Contemplates Digital Asset Investments for Pension Funds

Arizona is considering adding digital assets to government pension fund investment portfolios, which might indicate a change in investing approach.

A resolution that’s presently passing through the state assembly of Arizona suggests converting pension funds belonging to public safety and government personnel into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are based on digital assets.

This action is in response to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent approval of spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which indicates a regulatory change in favor of investments in digital assets. Furthermore, there are hints that the SEC could eventually approve ETFs for other digital assets like Ethereum (ETH).

Key Actions Proposed

The resolution outlines three key actions that the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) would be tasked with:

• Evaluation: Assess the implications of incorporating a digital asset ETF into their investment portfolios.
• Monitoring: Closely monitor the progress of Bitcoin ETFs and other digital asset ETFs, seeking input from SEC-approved firms, and evaluating the potential inclusion of such assets in their investment portfolio.
• Reporting: Provide a comprehensive report on the feasibility, risks, and potential benefits of allocating state retirement system funds to digital asset ETFs. This report, which includes recommendations, is to be submitted to key stakeholders at least three months before the beginning of the Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session.

In the state Senate, the Republican-sponsored resolution was approved 16–13, with Democrats voting against it and Republicans voting in favor. The proposal is presently being discussed in the state House.