Key Takeaways
- • Jason Lai, former chairman of Schroders Wealth Management Asia, joins B2C2 as senior adviser in Singapore, strengthening the crypto liquidity provider's institutional presence across Asia-Pacific.
- • B2C2 is actively expanding its APAC business across institutional liquidity, payments, and wealth management, backed by parent company SBI Holdings, to capture growing crypto adoption among family offices and asset managers.
- • Lai brings two decades of Asia private wealth experience, having founded Thirdrock Group in 2009 (acquired by Schroders in 2019) and serving as CEO and chairman of Schroders' Asian wealth management operations before retiring in 2026.
- • Asian family offices and asset managers are increasingly allocating to digital assets, with BCG projecting total assets under management in the region will reach $99 trillion by 2029, positioning Singapore and Hong Kong as key financial centers for crypto liquidity services.
- • B2C2 operates as an institutional crypto market maker providing round-the-clock liquidity across spot, derivatives, structured products, and OTC markets to banks, exchanges, brokers, hedge funds, and asset managers.
Summary
Lai brings significant institutional credentials to the role. He is the founder of Thirdrock Group, an independent wealth and asset management firm established in 2009 that was subsequently acquired by Schroders in 2019. Following the acquisition, Lai served as CEO of Schroders' Asian wealth management business and later as chairman of the unit before retiring in 2026. His appointment signals B2C2's intent to leverage established relationships within Asia's private wealth ecosystem to expand its institutional crypto services.
B2C2 operates as a proprietary crypto market maker and liquidity provider serving institutional clients including banks, exchanges, brokers, hedge funds, and asset managers. The firm provides round-the-clock liquidity and execution capabilities across spot markets, derivatives, structured products, and over-the-counter transactions. The company is backed by SBI Holdings, its parent entity, and is currently expanding its APAC business across institutional liquidity, payments, and wealth management verticals.
The timing of the hire aligns with measurable momentum in Asian institutional crypto adoption. Boston Consulting Group estimates that total assets under management across the Asia-Pacific region will reach $99 trillion by 2029, with Singapore and Hong Kong positioned as critical financial centers. This growth trajectory reflects institutional investor appetite for digital assets exposure, creating substantial demand for specialized liquidity providers capable of serving large institutional mandates.
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