President Trump to Authorize Inclusion of Crypto in 401(k) Retirement Plans for American Workers

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that could significantly reshape retirement savings in the United States by opening 401(k) plans to cryptocurrency investments. The White House Press Office announced the decision on Thursday. It tells the U.S. Department of Labor to look again at the rules that limit alternative assets in defined-contribution retirement plans.

The broad order tells the Labor Department to make its position on assets like digital currencies, private equity, and real estate clearer. It also sets rules for fiduciaries who manage these kinds of retirement portfolios. This policy shift could give American workers direct access to cryptocurrencies through their 401(k) accounts, part of a massive $12.5 trillion retirement market.

A senior White House official noted that the order also mandates inter-agency coordination between the Labor Department, the U.S. Treasury, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to explore necessary rule changes that would support crypto adoption in retirement products.

“This is about giving everyday Americans more freedom and more options in securing their financial future,” said White House spokesperson Kush Desai. However, he emphasized that “no decisions should be deemed official unless they come from President Trump himself.”

If enacted, the order would mark a major milestone for the crypto industry, which has struggled to gain access to retail investment vehicles like retirement accounts due to regulatory and fiduciary concerns. While institutional investors have increased their crypto exposure in recent years, retail savers have remained largely on the sidelines.

The SEC has also weighed in on the potential risks. Chair Paul Atkins stressed the importance of investor education and transparency. “People must be aware of the risks. Disclosure is key,” Atkins said in a Bloomberg interview.

This move follows a May 28 reversal by the Labor Department of a 2022 guidance that discouraged crypto use in 401(k) plans, calling for extreme caution by fiduciaries. Trump’s order, once signed, would replace that stance with one that encourages flexibility and innovation in retirement planning.

Trump is about to give the go-ahead, and this will change the way Americans save for retirement and let crypto into the mainstream financial system like never before.