• Trump to sign executive order allowing 401(k) access to crypto, private equity, and alternative assets.
• The order urges updates to ERISA guidance, with input from the SEC and the Treasury Department.
• Move signals major shift in U.S. retirement policy, with over $12 trillion potentially impacted.

TRUMP will disrupt the pillars of conventional retirement investing with an executive order that will permit 401(k) plans to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies, private equity, and other nontraditional assets.

The order, scheduled to be signed on Thursday, will direct regulators in the U. S. to reassess decades-old limits on what retirement investors can buy, effectively opening the door to new diversification opportunities in retirement portfolios.

To be issued on Thursday, the directive will urge the Department of Labor to update ERISA guidance, the federal statute that oversees retirement plans, and consult with the Treasury Department and SEC to consider altering rules. It will seek to ease years-old prohibitions that have confined retirement portfolios almost entirely to public bonds and stocks.

Trump Pushes Bitcoin Access in Retirement Plans

For decades, 401(k) plans had steered clear of illiquid assets because of legal risks, but the order suggests moving in the direction of accepting crypto and other nontraditional assets, reflecting his increasing support for the sector.

Since the past few months, Trump has embraced the crypto sector: receiving blockchain luminaries at the White House, calling for America’s national Bitcoin reserve, and setting up an Office of Federal Crypto Advisor.

Regulatory action against companies like Coinbase and Uniswap has been reportedly canceled or put on ice, suggesting gentler action under his persuasion.

With over $12 trillion sitting in 401(k) plans, money managers and digital asset companies see an enormous opportunity. The opportunity to unlock even a fraction of this money into blockchain-backed investments has Wall Street and Web3 players buzzing.

“Retirement accounts are the final unexplored frontier of alternative assets,” explained an institutional strategist. “If it becomes effective, it’s going to open the floodgates.”

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Trump’s Crypto Plan Signals Shift in Wealth Philosophy

Nevertheless, the transfer has its skeptics. There are fears about increased charges, illiquidity, opacity, and possible mismanagement, particularly if median depositors are subjected to risky crypto market fluctuations.

But Trump seems unbothered. It’s not only about financial policy with him, it’s a political commentary about innovation and economic freedom. By arguing in favor of access to crypto and private assets, he’s wagering that America’s future wealth belongs in decentralization, not Wall Street.

While the executive order remains to be signed, regulators and industry leaders track every move. Once it takes effect, it could be one of the most transformative events in the history of retirement policy in the US, and a giant step forward for mainstream crypto adoption.

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