A man in his 40s who pocketed 5 billion won says, "I poured 500 million won into crypto"…even experts are impressed [Young & Rich Portfolio]

The 5 billion won he suddenly came into was both an opportunity and a dilemma. A startup CEO in his early 40s, identified as Mr. A, found himself at a pivotal moment in earnest wealth management—deciding how to deploy the cash secured from selling his stake. Having amassed a large amount of liquidity in a short period, he wanted this time not merely to preserve capital but to pursue investments that would decisively outperform market returns.

Mr. A’s view of the problem was clear. Global equity markets centered on artificial intelligence (AI) have posted a strong rally since 2024, and crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have also been rapidly incorporated into mainstream financial assets. By contrast, he judged that relying only on cash-like assets and conservative management would make it difficult for his wealth to grow at a pace that keeps up with the market. Still, he wanted to avoid simply betting on themes, given the risk that volatility could increase after a sharp short-term run-up.

Mr. A’s portfolio was designed based on market conditions as of January this year. The backdrop reflected a complex mix of variables, including △the KOSPI around 4,800 △entry into a rate-cut cycle △clearer earnings visibility for the AI industry △rising won-dollar exchange-rate volatility. The aim was a structure that combined downside resilience with offensiveness. There were two core principles: trim risk by adjusting weights when asset prices surge, and put tax-saving measures in place to reduce the burden from comprehensive taxation on financial income.

The asset allocation was straightforward. Of the total 5 billion won, half was allocated to global index assets with long-term upside potential, while the remainder was diversified across growth themes, crypto assets, and safe-haven assets. The core index holdings—the backbone of the portfolio—were U.S. equity ETFs tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100. They were viewed as a stable choice given their strong odds of delivering over the long term and their broad exposure to AI beneficiaries. Taking into account exchange-rate trends and the cost of currency hedging, he chose products without separate FX hedges.

For growth and thematic assets aimed at generating excess returns, he added ETFs focused on AI, semiconductors, and robotics. While there are concerns about the valuation burden in AI, he judged that this year’s results are likely to once again beat market expectations. In addition, he included domestic tax-exempt ETFs holding leading companies across a range of industries—such as robotics, defense, shipbuilding, and energy—to reduce risk from concentration in any single theme.

He allocated crypto assets at about 10% of the total. He took into account that, as major countries led by the U.S. continue expansionary fiscal stances, the role of crypto assets as a hedge against currency debasement is growing. Despite high short-term volatility, he approached the segment with a long-term investment perspective, buying in tranches centered on top market-cap names. The split is 70% Bitcoin and 30% Ethereum. This reflects both Bitcoin’s capped supply and Ethereum’s role as a core infrastructure in the real-world asset tokenization (RWA) and stablecoin ecosystem.

Safe-haven and cash-like assets were kept at 20% of the total. He used gold and money market funds (MMFs) to prepare for geopolitical risks and inflation (rising prices). This was also to secure liquidity for additional buying during market pullbacks. He also designed a rebalancing framework in which, if the weight of equities or crypto rises sharply, he realizes part of the gains and channels them back into this bucket.

The portfolio is viewed as allowing aggressive yet controlled management. Noh Tae-seop, a Gold PB team leader at Hana Bank’s Olympic Athletes’ Village PB Center, said, "The younger and wealthier the client, the more important it is to have a structure that can manage volatility, rather than simply chasing returns," adding, "As the market environment changes quickly, regular checkups, rebalancing, and tax-saving strategies must go hand in hand to protect long-term performance."