Crypto in retirement accounts is where advisors and the public point in different directions: the survey data I could verify shows advisor adoption has grown, while most of the public still calls crypto in retirement plans risky. Here are the verified numbers, then my own view.
The Case For: Adoption Among Advisors
The Bitwise/VettaFi 2026 Benchmark Survey covered 299 financial advisors. It reports that 22% allocated to crypto in client accounts in 2024 and 32% in 2025, that 56% personally own crypto in 2025, and that the share able to buy crypto in client accounts rose from 19% in 2023 to 35% in 2024 and 42% in 2025 (Bitwise). The survey page doesn’t report the remainder directly, but the complement implies 58% of advisors were unable to buy crypto in client accounts in 2025, which I’m presenting as my arithmetic, not a stated figure.
The Case Against: Public Sentiment
A National Institute on Retirement Security survey of 1,203 adults aged 25 and older, fielded October 24 to November 14, 2025, found that 77% consider crypto in workplace retirement plans risky, including 46% who say very risky, and that 53% oppose employers offering crypto as an investment option (NIRS). That’s public sentiment, not advisor opinion.
Why the Rules Add to the Split
The Block reports that the Department of Labor proposed a rule in March 2026 outlining steps 401(k) plan managers should take when considering alternative assets, including digital assets, and that lawmakers say it would create a safe harbor for fiduciaries who offer such investments. In a letter dated June 1, 2026, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott urged Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to scrap the proposed rule, citing crypto’s volatility, fraud and conflicts of interest (The Block). In my view, an advisor working under rules that are still being contested faces uncertainty beyond their opinion of the asset. That’s my reasoning, not a finding from the survey.
The Official Timeline Behind the Rules
- May 2025: the Department of Labor rescinded its 2022 compliance release on crypto in 401(k) plans, which had told fiduciaries to exercise “extreme care”, and restored a position of neither endorsing nor disapproving fiduciaries who decide that including crypto is appropriate (DOL Compliance Assistance Release 2025-01).
- August 7, 2025: Executive Order 14330 aims to expand retirement-plan access to alternative assets. Its Section 3(a)(iii) includes holdings in actively managed investment vehicles that are investing in digital assets, and it directs the Secretary of Labor to reexamine guidance within 180 days (White House: Executive Order 14330).
- March 31, 2026: the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration published a proposed rule that would clarify the ERISA duty of prudence and provide a safe harbor for fiduciaries selecting designated investment alternatives. The listed safe harbor factors are performance, fees, liquidity, valuation, performance benchmark and complexity, and the comment deadline was June 1, 2026 (Federal Register: Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Investment Alternatives).
The Federal Register notice cites the executive order’s definition of alternative assets, which includes vehicles investing in digital assets.
Reading the Two Surveys Together
The survey numbers measure different groups. Bitwise surveyed 299 advisors, while NIRS surveyed 1,203 adults, so the first speaks to professional practice and the second to public attitudes. Using the Bitwise percentages, advisors able to buy crypto in client accounts went from 19% in 2023 to 42% in 2025, a rise of 23 percentage points (Bitwise/VettaFi 2026 Benchmark Survey). In the NIRS data, 77% called crypto in workplace plans risky and 46% called it very risky.
| Group | Measure | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Advisors (Bitwise, 2025) | Allocated to crypto in client accounts | 32% |
| Advisors (Bitwise, 2025) | Personally own crypto | 56% |
| Adults (NIRS) | Call crypto in workplace plans risky | 77% |
| Adults (NIRS) | Oppose employers offering crypto | 53% |
How to Use This Mixed Picture
- Don’t treat the mixed picture on crypto in retirement accounts as a reason to avoid deciding. In my view, it’s a reason to decide deliberately.
- Separate firm policy from investment opinion. The Bitwise data shows many advisors couldn’t buy crypto in client accounts, so a no may reflect policy. I’d ask which it is.
- Watch the rule changes described above rather than assuming they’re settled.
- If your advisor won’t discuss crypto, asking why seems useful to me.
Six Questions to Ask About Any Crypto Option on Your Plan Menu
The proposed Labor Department rule lists six factors for fiduciaries selecting investment alternatives: performance, fees, liquidity, valuation, performance benchmark and complexity (Federal Register). A saver can turn the same six words into questions when a plan menu adds a crypto-linked fund. The questions are my framing of the rule’s factors, not text from the rule:
- Performance: how long a track record does the fund show, and over which dates?
- Fees: what is the expense ratio, in dollars per $10,000 a year?
- Liquidity: how quickly can you sell inside the plan?
- Valuation: how often is the price set, and by what method?
- Benchmark: what is the fund measured against?
- Complexity: can you explain in one sentence what the fund holds?
For fees, the arithmetic is simple: a 1.00% expense ratio costs $100 a year on $10,000, and a 0.25% ratio costs $25.
Questions About Crypto in Retirement Accounts
If most advisors won’t recommend crypto, is it a bad idea? The data above doesn’t say. The Bitwise numbers suggest some advisors were unable to buy it, which isn’t the same as an investment judgment.
Is the regulatory uncertainty likely to resolve soon? I don’t know. The March 2026 proposal and June 2026 letter show it was contested at that time.
My Take on the Advisor-Public Gap
Everything above about crypto in retirement accounts is survey data, official documents and news reporting. This closing part is mine alone, and I’m labeling it as opinion.
- In my view, the gap between advisor adoption and public caution is information, not a verdict: it tells you the question is open, so the right move is to decide on purpose.
- In my view, a few hours spent reading your plan’s investment menu and fee disclosures is a better use of time than trying to count how many advisors lean which way.
- In my suggestion, ask your advisor whether a no on crypto reflects firm policy or an investment view, since the Bitwise data shows many advisors could not buy it in client accounts.
- I’m not giving an allocation for crypto in retirement accounts. If you also hold crypto outside a plan, see Digital Asset Insurance — The Safety Net Most Crypto Holders Don’t Have. I don’t have a verified basis for a percentage, and the right amount depends on your goals, time horizon and ability to sit through large swings.
Sources
- Bitwise/VettaFi 2026 Benchmark Survey
- National Institute on Retirement Security (2026 report)
- The Block: Sanders and Warren push Labor Dept. to scrap crypto 401(k) rule
- White House: Executive Order 14330
- Federal Register: Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Investment Alternatives
- DOL EBSA: Compliance Assistance Release 2025-01
This article offers general information and my own opinions, not financial, tax, or legal advice. The figures in worked examples are assumed. Laws, tax rules, and products change and can differ by location, so check current official sources and talk to a qualified professional about your own situation.