President Trump signed an executive order on April 30 directing the Department of Labor to allow Trump’s retirement account access to cryptocurrency, private equity, and other unique assets within US 401(k) plans, targeting the nearly $12.5 trillion contribution market that is largely closed to digital assets under ERISA’s existing oversight.
Summary
- The executive order directs the Department of Labor to revisit the guidance of the Employee Retirement Security Act and contact the Department of Finance.
- Trump’s retirement policy also launched TrumpIRA.gov next year, a site where workers without employer-sponsored plans can access retirement accounts and earn up to $1,000 a year by matching federal contributions.
- Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer praised the order, saying “the federal government should not make retirement investment decisions for hard-working Americans, including decisions about other assets.”
President Trump signed the Trump Retirement Executive Order on April 30, directing the Department of Labor and other government agencies to revise ERISA guidance to allow retirement plan officials to offer cryptocurrency and other assets as investment options. CNBC reported that the order follows the Labor Department’s earlier rescinding of Biden-era guidance that discouraged crypto from retirement plans, calling the previous situation “a tip on the scale.” Trump said at a press conference at the White House: “Low-income Americans will be able to receive up to $1,000 per year compared to funds directly deposited into their accounts.” Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement that “the federal government should not be making retirement investment decisions for hard-working Americans, including decisions about other assets.”
The policy targets $12.5 trillion sitting in defined contribution plans. Under this order, the Department of Labor must revisit how plan officials are allowed to evaluate other assets, the SEC must review the access it allows for 401(k) investors, and the agencies must coordinate before issuing new guidance. As crypto.news reported, Coinbase’s head of research, David Duong, predicted in January that stablecoins and token products will be at the center of institutional crypto adoption in 2026, with regulatory clarifications from the GENIUS Act being an important enabling condition. The opening of a retirement account for crypto products directly extends that narrative by targeting retail savers rather than institutional investors. As crypto.news has been written, the Trump administration has been systematically building its institutional position in Bitcoin throughout the year 2026, with a depository, separate Pentagon programs, and now an access order for a retirement account that represents three different policy vectors aimed at embedding Bitcoin and crypto in the general financial system of the US. As crypto.news tracked, ERISA rules may still cause implementation delays, as employers will need time to review plan options and fiduciaries will need guidance on how to meet their discretionary duty when providing alternative variable assets alongside common stock and bond funds.
