President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to transform the $9 trillion U.S. retirement market by allowing the inclusion of cryptocurrencies, gold, private equity, and other alternative assets within 401(k)s and IRAs.
According to The Financial Times, Trump could sign an executive order as early as this week directing regulators to remove barriers that currently block non-traditional investments from most retirement plans. This move would mark a dramatic shift in how Americans can grow and protect their nest eggs—and a bold bet on the future of digital and decentralized finance.
A White House official stated, “President Trump is committed to restoring prosperity for everyday Americans and safeguarding their economic future.” The decision isn’t final until Trump announces it himself, but the momentum is unmistakable.
This isn’t Trump’s first step toward shaking up the system. His administration has already reversed a Biden-era Department of Labor warning that discouraged crypto exposure in retirement portfolios. Now, the new plan would go even further, allowing Americans to invest in not only Bitcoin and Ethereum, but also private equity deals, infrastructure funds, and hard assets like gold.
Financial powerhouses like Blackstone, Apollo, and BlackRock could benefit significantly, as they’ve long sought access to retirement capital and are already in talks with major plan providers, such as Vanguard and Empower.
The timing is notable: just this week, the U.S. House passed three key crypto bills—the CLARITY Act (defining asset classifications), the GENIUS Act (regulating stablecoins), and the Anti-CBDC Act (blocking the rollout of a digital dollar without Congressional Approval). With regulatory frameworks evolving fast, Trump’s move could put Americans back in control of their financial futures—and inject serious innovation into a sleepy retirement system.