President Trump signed an executive order on April 30 directing the Labor Department to allow Trump retirement account access to cryptocurrency, private equity, and other alternative assets inside US 401(k) plans, targeting the roughly $12.5 trillion defined-contribution market that has been largely closed to digital assets under existing ERISA guidance.
President Trump signed the Trump retirement executive order on April 30, directing the Labor Department and other federal agencies to revise ERISA guidance to allow retirement plan fiduciaries to offer cryptocurrency and alternative assets as investment options. CNBC reported that the order follows the Labor Department’s earlier rescission of Biden-era guidance that had discouraged crypto in retirement plans, calling the prior stance one that “placed a thumb on the scale.” Trump said at a White House press conference: “Low-income Americans will be eligible to receive up to $1,000 per year in matching funds deposited directly into their accounts.” Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement that “the federal government should not be making retirement investment decisions for hardworking Americans, including decisions regarding alternative assets.”
The policy targets the $12.5 trillion sitting in defined-contribution plans. Under the order, the Labor Department must revisit how plan fiduciaries are permitted to evaluate alternative assets, the SEC must assess enabling access for 401(k) investors, and the agencies must coordinate before issuing new guidance. As crypto.news reported, Coinbase’s research head David Duong had projected in January that stablecoins and tokenised products would become central to institutional crypto adoption in 2026, with regulatory clarity from the GENIUS Act the key enabling condition. A retirement account opening for crypto products directly extends that narrative by targeting retail savers rather than institutional allocators. As crypto.news documented, the Trump administration has been systematically building its institutional position in Bitcoin throughout 2026, with the strategic reserve, classified Pentagon programs, and now the retirement account access order representing three separate policy vectors aimed at embedding Bitcoin and crypto into the mainstream US financial system. As crypto.news tracked, ERISA rules could still create implementation delays, as employers will need time to revise plan options and fiduciaries will need guidance on how to meet their duty of prudence when offering volatile alternative assets alongside traditional stock and bond funds.
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