A new national survey has found that 53% of Americans oppose employers offering cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans, while 77% consider such investments risky.
Crypto Retirement Plans Face Resistance from US Savers
The National Institute on Retirement Security reported that 46% of respondents considered cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans very risky, contributing to the 77% who expressed some level of concern. Opposition to workplace crypto options extended beyond respondents who viewed digital assets as risky, with 53% not supporting employers offering cryptocurrency as an investment choice within their retirement plans. The survey found that 80% of Americans believed the country faces a retirement crisis, compared with 67% in 2020.
Researchers gathered the findings through a national survey conducted by Greenwald Research from Oct. 24 through Nov. 14, 2025. The poll included 1,203 US residents aged 25 and older. The findings indicate that resistance to crypto inside retirement plans is not limited to people who reject digital assets altogether. This sentiment contrasts with the market optimism seen when crypto markets entered extreme greed territory earlier this week.
Retirement Concerns Grow as Debt Limits Savings
With more than three-quarters of respondents saying debt hurt their ability to save, the survey placed the crypto question within a retirement system already under strain. The institute's February 2026 analysis, based on US Census Bureau data, said the median retirement savings balance across the American workforce was below $1,000. Social Security supplied about 52% of retirement income for older Americans, while approximately 17% of workers had access to a defined-benefit pension.
Unlike a traditional pension, a 401(k) generally places investment decisions and market risk on the employee. Crypto can expose a retirement account to sharper price changes than many traditional plan investments. The Government Accountability Office has described digital assets as having unique volatility. The retirement policy landscape has seen active advocacy on both sides, as reflected in the Stand With Crypto initiative backing CLARITY Act supporters.
US Regulators Have Removed Barriers to Crypto in 401(k)s
In May 2025, the Department of Labor withdrew its crypto guidance, which had instructed retirement-plan fiduciaries to exercise extreme care before adding cryptocurrency to investment menus. President Trump added another directive in August 2025 by signing an executive order on alternative assets. In March 2026, the Labor Department proposed a new rule explaining how fiduciaries could evaluate alternative assets for workplace retirement plans, including regulatory safe harbors intended to reduce litigation exposure.
Plan sponsors would not have to add cryptocurrency under the proposal. Employers choosing to include such products would need to document an objective review and show that the options met ERISA's prudence requirements. The proposal would not provide unrestricted access to crypto but would replace restrictions based on asset type with individual reviews by fiduciaries.
