Crypto knocking on America’s retirement door.
By Maxime Laurent · 2026-01-29 15:14
Crypto knocking on America’s retirement door.
$12.5 trillion in 401(k) plans — and suddenly, crypto is part of the conversation.
The head of the SEC, Paul Atkins, openly said this might be the right moment to allow crypto exposure inside US 401(k) retirement plans. That’s not a tweet from Crypto Twitter — that’s the regulator talking about pensions. Big shift.
Of course, resistance showed up immediately. Elizabeth Warren pushed back hard, pointing to $BTC’s brutal 70% drawdown in 2022 and its ~60% volatility versus ~15% for the S&P 500. From a traditional risk lens, she’s not wrong.
But here’s the part nobody likes to say out loud: pensions are long-term machines. Decades, not quarters. Over long horizons, volatility matters less than debasement, demographics, and upside asymmetry.
This isn’t about going all-in on crypto with grandma’s savings. It’s about optionality. A small allocation. A hedge against a system that already looks stretched. And let’s be honest — younger generations don’t trust the old playbook anymore.
If crypto enters 401(k)s, even cautiously, that’s not a price catalyst. That’s legitimacy. And legitimacy changes behavior slowly… then suddenly.
This debate isn’t about volatility. It’s about whether the system adapts — or freezes. À suivre.
#bitcoin #BTC #retirement #401k #SEC #crypto #markets #CryptoFriture
$12.5 trillion in 401(k) plans — and suddenly, crypto is part of the conversation.
The head of the SEC, Paul Atkins, openly said this might be the right moment to allow crypto exposure inside US 401(k) retirement plans. That’s not a tweet from Crypto Twitter — that’s the regulator talking about pensions. Big shift.
Of course, resistance showed up immediately. Elizabeth Warren pushed back hard, pointing to $BTC’s brutal 70% drawdown in 2022 and its ~60% volatility versus ~15% for the S&P 500. From a traditional risk lens, she’s not wrong.
But here’s the part nobody likes to say out loud: pensions are long-term machines. Decades, not quarters. Over long horizons, volatility matters less than debasement, demographics, and upside asymmetry.
This isn’t about going all-in on crypto with grandma’s savings. It’s about optionality. A small allocation. A hedge against a system that already looks stretched. And let’s be honest — younger generations don’t trust the old playbook anymore.
If crypto enters 401(k)s, even cautiously, that’s not a price catalyst. That’s legitimacy. And legitimacy changes behavior slowly… then suddenly.
This debate isn’t about volatility. It’s about whether the system adapts — or freezes. À suivre.
#bitcoin #BTC #retirement #401k #SEC #crypto #markets #CryptoFriture
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and not financial advice.