Family offices managing traditional wealth have established structures for compliance, reporting, and succession. Digital assets do not fit neatly into those frameworks — and without bespoke architecture, they introduce risk at every generational transition.
CryptoVault builds digital asset governance structures that integrate seamlessly with your existing family office mandate. We work alongside your legal, tax, and investment advisors to create frameworks that are auditable, transferable, and built to endure.
Bespoke investment policy statements for digital assets, covering allocation limits, custody standards, and reporting requirements.
Custody structures designed for wealth transfer across generations, with graduated access controls and beneficiary frameworks.
Board-level and family-level reporting dashboards covering all digital asset holdings, performance, and security status.
Independent assessment of all digital asset service providers used by the family office, including exchanges, OTC desks, and DeFi protocols.
Tailored briefings and workshops for family members and trustees on digital asset fundamentals, risks, and governance.
Smart contract-based and legal-framework succession planning ensuring seamless generational transfer of digital wealth.
Family offices managing 9-figure+ wealth with significant or growing digital asset allocations requiring governance architecture.
MFOs adding digital assets to their service offering who require institutional-grade custody and governance infrastructure.
Private banking relationships and fiduciary services requiring third-party digital asset expertise and reporting integration.
The appropriate allocation varies significantly with the family's risk tolerance, liquidity requirements, investment horizon, and existing portfolio composition. Institutional survey data suggests that leading family offices are currently allocating 1–5% to digital assets, with a meaningful cohort in the 5–15% range. The BNY 2025 survey of single-family offices found 74% have some digital asset exposure. The more important question than the size of the allocation is whether the custody, governance, and succession infrastructure for that allocation is adequate — a 2% allocation is not small if the holding is $20 million.
The optimal structure depends on the family's jurisdiction, existing legal architecture, and objectives. In Australia, discretionary trusts provide access to the 50% CGT discount, flexible income distribution, and integration with existing estate planning frameworks. SMSFs offer the most tax-efficient long-term holding environment but carry compliance obligations. Family limited partnerships can be appropriate for international families with cross-border holdings. Each structure should be reviewed by advisers with specific digital asset tax expertise before assets are acquired.
Digital asset succession planning requires three integrated components: a custody architecture with built-in succession provisions (multi-signature with trustee key), legal structure integration (digital assets held within the same trusts, companies, or other vehicles as the rest of the estate), and documented executor education (a detailed letter of instruction that enables a non-technical estate administrator to access and manage the assets). All three are necessary — any one in isolation is insufficient.
Digital assets held in an Australian discretionary trust are subject to CGT on disposal. The trust can access the 50% CGT discount for assets held over 12 months, and the discounted gain can be distributed to beneficiaries who are taxed at their individual marginal rates. Trust income from staking or other digital asset activities is taxed as ordinary income and distributed to beneficiaries at their applicable rates. The interaction with trust distribution rules, the family trust election, and specific beneficiary circumstances requires professional tax advice.
Family offices holding digital assets require: real-time portfolio valuation across all digital asset positions, transaction history with cost base tracking for CGT purposes, income reporting (staking rewards, DeFi income) for income tax purposes, consolidated reporting across all family members and structures, and ATO-compliant records for each CGT event. As reporting obligations under the Digital Assets Framework increase, standardised reporting from licensed custodians will become the foundation of digital asset compliance.