New survey underscores public resistance to crypto in workplace retirement plans — even as federal policy shifts open the door A new national poll finds a majority of Americans uncomfortable with the idea of cryptocurrency inside employer-sponsored retirement plans: 53% oppose employers offering crypto as an option, and 77% say such investments are risky. The survey, conducted for the National Institute on Retirement Security, also reported that 46% of respondents view crypto in workplace plans as “very risky.” The findings — drawn from a Greenwald Research poll of 1,203 U.S. residents aged 25 and older carried out Oct. 24–Nov. 14, 2025 and weighted by age, gender and income — come amid growing public anxiety about the broader retirement system. Key takeaways from the survey: - 80% of Americans believe the U.S. faces a retirement crisis (up from 67% in 2020). - 61% are worried about achieving financial security in retirement. - 68% say preparing for retirement has become harder. - 77% say debt prevents them from saving enough. These attitudes about crypto sit against clear signs of fragile retirement preparedness. Separate research from the institute released in February 2026 — using U.S. Census data — found the median retirement savings balance across the American workforce was below $1,000 and many employees still lack access to employer plans. The study noted that Social Security supplies roughly 52% of retirement income for older Americans and only about 17% of workers had access to a defined-benefit pension as of December 2022. How many Americans own crypto? Public caution on crypto is not absolute: a Federal Reserve survey in May 2025 found roughly 10% of U.S. adults used or held cryptocurrency that year (up from 7% in 2024). About 7% reported holding crypto as an investment, with fewer people using it for payments or transfers. Why crypto raises alarm bells for retirement plans Observers and agencies warn that adding digital assets to retirement menus can amplify risk for savers. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has described crypto as uniquely volatile and said reliable methods for projecting future returns are limited — an acute concern when retirement plans shift investment decision-making and market risk onto employees, as with 401(k) accounts. Policy moves: from “extreme care” to an open review process Federal policy has trended toward giving plan fiduciaries more latitude to consider alternative assets — including crypto — despite public skepticism. - May 2025: The Labor Department rescinded earlier guidance that told retirement-plan fiduciaries to exercise “extreme care” before adding cryptocurrency. Officials said the prior guidance departed from the department’s typically neutral, principles-based approach. - Aug. 7, 2025: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on alternative assets covering digital-asset investment vehicles and other nontraditional allocations (private equity, private credit, real estate). - Mid-August 2025: Five days after the order, the Labor Department withdrew a 2021 statement that had discouraged fiduciaries from considering private equity and similar alternatives. - March 2026: The Labor Department proposed a new rule laying out how fiduciaries could evaluate alternative assets for workplace plans. The proposal includes regulatory “safe harbors” designed to reduce litigation risk for fiduciaries that follow prescribed review standards. It would cover more than 90 million retirement savers and require fiduciaries to assess performance, fees, liquidity, valuation, redemption terms and participants’ ability to understand an investment. Under the proposed framework, plan sponsors would not be required to add crypto or other alternatives. But employers that choose to include them would have to document an objective review and demonstrate that the options satisfy the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s prudence requirements. Political pushback and ongoing rulemaking The Labor Department’s March 2026 proposal drew political opposition. In June 2026, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Bobby Scott asked the department to withdraw the rule, arguing that cryptocurrency could expose workers to price volatility, fraud and weaker protections than those for public securities. The lawmakers also raised concerns about whether fiduciaries can reliably value certain digital assets given the evolving application of securities laws. Where things stand The proposed Labor Department rule remains in the federal rulemaking process and could be revised, finalized or withdrawn after public comment. Meanwhile, the new survey makes clear that policymakers and plan sponsors face a difficult tradeoff: many Americans lack adequate retirement savings and feel financial pressure, yet a majority are wary of introducing high-volatility assets like crypto into the limited, long-term savings vehicles they rely on. For retirement-plan fiduciaries, the message is twofold: any move to add crypto will invite intense scrutiny over fees, valuation, liquidity and suitability for savers — and, regardless of federal policy changes, public confidence in cryptocurrency as a retirement investment remains low. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news