Michael McCarthy, CEO of Moomoo Australia and New Zealand.
SYDNEY, June 19, 2025 – A recent survey by investment platform moomoo Australia and New Zealand revealed that investors are interested in establishing self-managed super funds to invest in cryptocurrency and leverage artificial intelligence.
However, a key finding indicated that the complexity and cost associated with setting up an SMSF are deterring interested individuals from proceeding.
SMSF complexity holds investors back
Moomoo aims to simplify the complicated SMSF setup process, which is why 24% of interested Australians have not opened a fund. Furthermore, moomoo and its partners offer transparent fees to address the concerns of 21% of individuals who cite cost as the reason for not opening an SMSF.
Another major reason Australians hesitate to open an SMSF is uncertainty about investment choices (24%). To address this, moomoo provides a wide array of news and content, including insights from SMSF experts, to help investors effectively manage their superannuation for long-term gains.
“There are valid reasons why even Australians familiar with share investing and interested in opening a self-managed super fund have not done so. We directly address these concerns with our trading account service, administration partner services, and advanced investing resources,” stated Michael McCarthy, CEO of moomoo Australia and New Zealand.
Investors can not only use moomoo to establish an SMSF trading account but also access investment guidance from our partners, along with other services such as fund setup, rollovers, reporting, compliance, and ongoing management.
They want to make use of artificial intelligence
According to moomoo Australia, the majority of Australian share investors (67%) would utilize artificial intelligence in their SMSF investing.
Specifically, survey results showed that a third would use AI for their SMSF investment strategy, while 37% would use it to analyze individual investments. Additionally, a third would use AI to help manage the fund, and nearly 30% to meet compliance requirements. Just over a quarter of respondents would use AI tools to address all four needs.
“Australians’ acknowledgment of AI’s potential to ease the burden of managing an SMSF is particularly noteworthy, considering that they cite the complexity of opening an SMSF as a primary reason for not doing so,” Mr. McCarthy explained.
“This need aligns perfectly with the launch of our AI assistant this month. Coupled with the platform’s other AI-powered features, including trend projection and market monitoring automation, we are harnessing the full power of artificial intelligence to help investors make easier, smarter, and more informed trades.”
An appetite for cryptocurrency
Moomoo Australia found that Australians interested in opening an SMSF are significantly more likely to trade Bitcoin than current self-managed super fund owners.
Almost two-thirds (60%) of those interested in SMSFs are either trading or want to trade cryptocurrencies, with a particular interest in Bitcoin (88%) and Ethereum (56%). Nearly a third are interested in stablecoins and altcoins.
However, among more conservative current SMSF owners, just over half (55%) are trading crypto or would like to. Their interest is also more diversified, with 40% trading or wanting to trade Bitcoin, a third focused on memecoins, and a considerable minority (27%) on stablecoins.
“There is substantial investor interest in cryptocurrency. The moomoo platform caters to this interest by providing access to over 26,000 securities across the Australian, US, and Hong Kong markets, including a wide range of crypto-based stocks and exchange-traded funds,” Mr. McCarthy stated.
About the survey
Moomoo Australia surveyed 153 sharemarket investors with experience in trading and managing superannuation (independent of the moomoo platform). Approximately one-third of respondents held a self-managed super fund, while 22% were interested in opening one.
The characteristics of those who own or would like to own an SMSF are quite similar. Generally, they are over 45 years old, work full-time, and have a household income between $50,000 and $150,000. Those not yet running an SMSF have less share-trading experience (about one year) and consider their investment knowledge to be at an ‘intermediate’ level.
Australians that invest in shares and hold a self-managed super fund, or want to:
- possess either intermediate (41%) or advanced (35%) investment knowledge
- believe their retirement balance can reach up to $200,000 (23%), $500,000 (32%), or $1 million (26%)
- are interested in using AI investing tools (67%) for strategizing (33%) and analyzing investments (37%)
- believe AI is beneficial for SMSF reporting (37%) and management (37%), but have concerns about its security (31%).
Those that haven’t yet set up a SMSF:
- haven’t done so because they are satisfied with their current fund (55%), perceive the process as too complex (23%), or believe they lack sufficient funds (23%)
- would like to invest in Australian stocks (76%), property (55%), crypto (39%), and ETFs (30%)
- would avoid investing in crypto (36%), futures (24%), bonds (18%), and non-US global stocks (18%).
About moomoo
Through moomoo, investors can access local and international markets, selecting from over 26,000 shares and ETFs – more securities than most Australian broking platforms – to customize their retirement investment strategy. We have partnered with four administration service providers – Intello, Superannuation Warehouse, Just Superfund, and SMSFai – to offer a comprehensive one-stop service to clients.
moomoo is a next-generation investment platform that combines investment transactions, current news, real-time market data, and a dynamic trading community. It provides investors with access to securities across the Australian, United States, and Hong Kong markets.
Moomoo is owned by Futu Holdings, a global fintech company listed on the Nasdaq. It operates in seven global markets, including Japan and the United States.
Media contact (to arrange interviews and photos)
Byron Smith, Senior Content Manager, Moomoo Australia and New Zealand, phone 0411 272 701, email
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