President Trump plans to open 401 to Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, gold and private equity 401 (k)

The Financial Times reported today that President Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that would allow 401(k) retirement plans to invest in alternative assets such as gold, private equity and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

“Donald Trump is preparing to open the $900 million U.S. retirement market for cryptocurrency investment, gold and private equity, which will stimulate a radical shift in how Americans save.”

The order will be conducted this week and will direct federal regulators to remove barriers to prevent the 401(k) plan to include these non-traditional investments in custody funds, according to the Financial Times. This includes digital assets, metals, private loans, infrastructure transactions and corporate buyout funds.

“President Trump is committed to restoring the prosperity of everyday Americans and protecting their economic future,” the White House said in a statement from the Financial Times. “But no decision should be considered an official unless they come from President Trump himself.”

Trump’s move is based on the administration’s early efforts to ease Bitcoin and crypto regulations. In May, the Labor Department reversed a rule that discouraged Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in retirement plans. Trump also endorsed the recent Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency-related bills passed by the House and attributed it to the industry to help him win the 2024 election.

The executive order could benefit major private investment companies such as Blackstone, Apollo and BlackRock, which reported on the Financial Times, all fixing much of its future growth to investments representing retired savers.

“Blackstone has a partnership with the Pioneer, and Apollo and Partner Group are the companies that will provide investments for Empower, a large 401K program sponsor. BlackRock has begun working with Great Gray Trust, a third-party retirement savings program operating a large Gray Trust.”