Fidelity Expands Retirement Investment Options with Crypto IRAs

Fidelity, a financial giant managing $5.9 trillion in assets, has unveiled a new suite of retirement accounts, giving Americans a low-cost gateway into cryptocurrency investing.

The offering includes three types of accounts—a tax-deferred traditional IRA and two Roth IRAs (one for rollovers)—enabling users to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Litecoin (LTC). While Fidelity imposes no fees for opening or maintaining these accounts, transactions incur a 1% spread on the execution price. These crypto IRAs are provided through Fidelity Digital Assets, a subsidiary previously focused on institutional crypto investment.

This expansion marks a shift in the U.S. crypto landscape, coinciding with broader adoption trends such as corporate Bitcoin reserves and IPO filings from key industry players like stablecoin issuer Circle.

To ensure security, Fidelity stores most of its crypto holdings in cold wallets—offline storage that mitigates hacking risks. Although investing in digital assets within IRAs has not been explicitly barred, few providers have facilitated direct crypto purchases. Fidelity’s move could signal increasing acceptance of crypto as a legitimate retirement investment vehicle.

For investors seeking exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum, alternatives have been available since 2024, including ETFs tied to these assets. Additionally, specialized Bitcoin IRAs and platforms like BitIRA offer self-directed accounts with access to a wider range of digital currencies.

Momentum for crypto retirement investment appears to be growing. On April 1, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama reintroduced a bill aiming to permit cryptocurrency investments in 401(k) plans, challenging existing Department of Labor regulations.

As regulatory discussions continue, Fidelity’s latest move suggests that crypto’s role in retirement planning is becoming harder to ignore.