Table of Contents

• You might want to know


• Main Topic


• Key Insights Table


• Afterwards...

You might want to know

1. How will seasoned private-wealth leadership accelerate crypto adoption among Asia’s family offices and asset managers?

2. What market dynamics in APAC make the region a strategic priority for institutional crypto liquidity providers?

Main Topic

Institutional crypto liquidity provider B2C2 has named Jason Lai, the former chairman of Schroders Wealth Management Asia, as a senior adviser based in Singapore. The appointment signals B2C2’s concerted effort to strengthen relationships with family offices, funds and asset managers across the Asia-Pacific region as demand for digital-asset exposure rises among traditional wealth management clients.

Jason Lai brings decades of experience in Asia’s private wealth sector. He founded Thirdrock Group, an independent wealth and asset management firm launched in 2009, which Schroders acquired in 2019. Following that acquisition, Lai served as CEO of Schroders’ Asian wealth management operations and later as chairman, retiring from the firm in 2026. His background positions him to advise B2C2 on client engagement strategies tailored to high-net-worth families and institutional investors who are increasingly considering allocations to cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

B2C2, founded in 2015, operates as a market maker and liquidity provider to a range of institutional counterparties, including banks, exchanges, brokers, hedge funds and asset managers. The firm deploys proprietary trading technology to provide continuous liquidity and execution across spot, derivatives, structured products and over-the-counter markets. By adding a senior adviser with deep private-wealth credentials, B2C2 aims to bridge the gap between conventional wealth channels and the specialist liquidity infrastructure that institutional digital-asset investors require.

Macro and regional trends underpin the timing of this hire. Research from the Boston Consulting Group projects that total assets under management in Asia could reach $99 trillion by 2029, highlighting the scale of opportunity for firms that can serve private-wealth clients effectively. Separately, global surveys by major banks indicate that a meaningful portion of family offices already have crypto exposure: for example, Goldman Sachs has reported that roughly one-third of family offices hold cryptocurrencies. Those figures reflect a broader shift in client appetite and the need for established infrastructure, custody, liquidity and governance frameworks.

Asia itself is a focal point for both retail adoption and institutional activity. On-chain analytics firm Chainalysis reported that, through June 2025, APAC was the world’s fastest-growing region for on-chain transactions, with transaction volume increasing 69% to $2.36 trillion year-on-year. India emerged as a leader in retail adoption, while Singapore and Hong Kong are actively competing to attract regulated digital-asset businesses and institutional flows by clarifying licensing regimes, tax frameworks and custody standards. This combination of large wealth pools and evolving regulatory infrastructures makes APAC an important battleground for firms courting traditional financial institutions and high-net-worth investors.

For B2C2, the strategic objective appears to be threefold: expand institutional liquidity services across the region, develop payment and wholesale liquidity offerings, and provide bespoke services to family offices and private wealth managers. The company is majority-controlled by Japan’s SBI Holdings (around 90% ownership), which ties the market maker into a broader corporate push into digital-asset services. That backing can offer capital stability and strategic partnerships as B2C2 scales its APAC presence.

The appointment of Lai follows a series of hires across Asia under APAC CEO David Rogers, including the addition of Laura Teo as Singapore country head. Collectively, these moves indicate a deliberate push to staff the region with experienced personnel who can navigate local market structures, regulatory nuances and client relationships—particularly those required to onboard traditional wealth managers and family offices to digital-asset strategies.

Operationally, B2C2’s value proposition to institutional clients rests on its ability to provide reliable execution, deep liquidity and bespoke product solutions. Institutional allocators considering crypto investments require several core capabilities: transparent and robust pricing, custody and settlement arrangements, counterparty risk management, and regulatory-compliant product wrappers. By leveraging proprietary trading technology and a network of institutional relationships, B2C2 aims to address these needs while offering scalable liquidity across multiple asset classes.

However, challenges remain. Institutional adoption depends on clearer regulatory frameworks, improved custody standards, risk controls, and consistent product governance. Family offices and private-wealth teams often demand customized reporting, tax-efficient structures, and governance mechanisms that align with legacy portfolios. Translating crypto-market infrastructure into offerings that meet these requirements is non-trivial and requires both technical capability and deep trust—precisely the qualities that experienced wealth executives like Lai can help cultivate.

From a competitive perspective, many firms are vying for the same client segments in APAC. Traditional asset managers, crypto-native firms, banks and exchanges are all expanding their product sets and capabilities. Singapore and Hong Kong’s efforts to become digital-asset hubs mean that market participants will be competing not only on technology and liquidity but also on local regulatory relationships, service quality and the ability to deliver institutional-grade solutions. In this environment, hires that blend private-wealth credibility with an understanding of crypto markets are strategically valuable.

In summary, Jason Lai’s move to B2C2 reflects the intersection of growing institutional appetite for digital assets in Asia and the need for trusted, experienced advisors to help translate that demand into workable solutions. With strong backing from SBI Holdings and an expanded regional team, B2C2 is positioning itself to capture a share of the wealth-management flows moving into crypto—provided it can meet the governance, custody and execution standards that institutional clients expect.

Key Insights Table

Afterwards...

Looking ahead, B2C2’s success in winning wealth-management flows will hinge on its ability to combine institutional liquidity capabilities with client-facing expertise tailored to private-wealth needs. The firm must continue building regulatory-compliant product offerings, custody arrangements and governance frameworks that satisfy conservative allocators. If Asia’s projected asset growth and continued on-chain activity persist, firms that align technical execution with trusted advisory relationships are likely to capture meaningful market share in the region’s shift toward digital assets.

For advisors and investors, the trend underscores a broader professionalization of crypto services: greater involvement of established wealth executives, deeper institutional liquidity, and increasing pressure on regulators and service providers to raise standards. The coming years will test which institutions can translate opportunity into sustainable, institutionally acceptable products and services.