A new survey from The National Institute on Retirement Security indicates that more than three-quarters of Americans view cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans as risky. The findings arrive as concerns over retirement security continue to mount across the United States.
According to the survey, 77% of Americans consider crypto in workplace retirement plans to be risky, with 46% viewing it as very risky. Additionally, 53% of respondents oppose employers offering crypto as an investment option. The skepticism coincides with broader financial anxieties, as 80% of respondents stated that the United States faces a retirement crisis—up from 67% in 2020—and 61% expressed concern about achieving financial security in retirement.
Affordability pressures are also impacting retirement savings. The survey found that 68% of respondents believe it is becoming harder to prepare for retirement, while 77% reported that debt prevents them from saving adequately. Conducted by Greenwald Research between Oct. 24 and Nov. 14, 2025, the survey polled 1,203 Americans aged 25 and older, with results weighted by age, gender, and income.
Despite public skepticism, federal policymakers and the Trump administration have moved to broaden access to alternative assets in retirement accounts. In May 2025, the US Department of Labor rescinded guidance that previously urged 401(k) plan fiduciaries to exercise extreme care when considering cryptocurrency investments, adopting a neutral approach instead.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 7, 2025, to expand access to alternative assets in defined-contribution retirement plans, including investment vehicles holding digital assets. The order directed the Labor Department and the US Securities and Exchange Commission to consider regulatory changes facilitating this access. Days later, the Labor Department rescinded 2021 guidance that had discouraged fiduciaries from considering alternative assets.
In March 2026, the Labor Department proposed rules outlining how 401(k) fiduciaries could include alternative assets in investment lineups. The proposal included safe harbors aimed at reducing litigation risks while requiring the evaluation of fees, liquidity, valuation, and performance.
The proposal has encountered pushback from lawmakers. In June, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, alongside Representative Bobby Scott, urged the Labor Department to withdraw the proposal, citing crypto's volatility and what they described as insufficient investor safeguards.
