coindesk.com
Institutional crypto liquidity provider B2C2 has appointed Jason Lai, the former chairman of Schroders Wealth Management Asia, as a senior adviser in Singapore, as the firm looks to deepen its ties with family offices, funds and asset managers across Asia-Pacific, the company said in a press release Thursday.
Lai is a veteran of Asia's private wealth industry and the founder of Thirdrock Group, an independent wealth and asset manager established in 2009. Schroders acquired the business in 2019, after which Lai served as CEO of the firm's Asian wealth management unit and later as chairman. He retired from Schroders in 2026.
Founded in 2015, B2C2 is an institutional crypto market maker and liquidity provider serving banks, exchanges, brokers, hedge funds and asset managers. The firm uses proprietary trading technology to provide round-the-clock liquidity and execution across spot, derivatives, structured products and over-the-counter markets.
The appointment comes as traditional wealth managers and family offices in Asia take a growing interest in digital assets. Boston Consulting Group estimates total assets under management in the region will reach $99 trillion by 2029, with Singapore and Hong Kong among its key financial centers. Globally, roughly one-third of family offices already have exposure to cryptocurrencies, according to Goldman Sachs.
Asia growth
Asia is increasingly where crypto’s retail scale and institutional ambitions collide. APAC was the world’s fastest-growing region for onchain activity in the year through June 2025, with transaction volume surging 69% to $2.36 trillion, according to Chainalysis.
India led its global adoption rankings, while Singapore and Hong Kong are competing to establish themselves as regulated digital-asset hubs, making the region an increasingly important battleground for firms courting traditional financial institutions and wealthy investors.
“Asia's wealthiest families and managers are increasingly investing in digital assets,” Lai said in the press release. “B2C2 has the liquidity and execution infrastructure this client base needs.”
Lai's appointment follows a series of hires by B2C2 in Asia under APAC CEO David Rogers, including Laura Teo as Singapore country head.
B2C2 is 90% owned by Japan's SBI Holdings, and has become part of the financial group's broader push into digital assets.