Survey: Most Americans Reject Crypto Options in Workplace Retirement Plans, Even as Federal Rules Loosen

A new national survey shows Americans remain wary of cryptocurrency in employer-sponsored retirement plans, despite federal policy moves that could make it easier for plan sponsors to consider alternative assets. Polling conducted for the National Institute on Retirement Security found 53% of respondents oppose employers offering cryptocurrency as an option inside workplace retirement plans, while 77% say crypto investments are risky. Nearly half (46%) describe crypto in workplace plans as "very risky." The results come from a Greenwald Research survey of 1,203 U.S. residents age 25 and older, conducted Oct. 24–Nov. 14, 2025, and weighted by age, gender and income. The crypto skepticism sits alongside broader unease about retirement readiness. The same survey found: - 80% believe the U.S. is facing a retirement crisis, up from 67% in 2020 - 61% worry about achieving financial security in retirement - 68% say saving for retirement has gotten harder - 77% say debt keeps them from saving enough Separate research from the institute released in February 2026, based on U.S. Census data, underscored how thin many workers' savings remain. It found the median retirement savings balance across the U.S. workforce was below $1,000, and that many employees still lack access to employer plans. The study also said Social Security provides 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. Crypto ownership has grown, but remains limited. A Federal Reserve survey in May 2025 found about 10% of U.S. adults used or held cryptocurrency that year, up from 7% in 2024. Around 7% reported holding crypto as an investment, with fewer using it for payments or transfers. Regulators and watchdogs have warned that adding digital assets to retirement lineups can raise risks for savers. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has described crypto as uniquely volatile and noted the lack of reliable methods to project future returns, a major concern in participant-directed plans such as 401(k)s where workers bear investment decisions and market risk. Federal policy, though, has moved toward giving fiduciaries more flexibility to evaluate alternatives, including crypto: - May 2025: The Labor Department rescinded prior guidance urging "extreme care" before adding cryptocurrency, saying the earlier stance departed from its typical neutral, principles-based approach.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 such as private equity, private credit and real estate. - Mid-August 2025: Five days after the executive 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 outlining how fiduciaries could evaluate alternative assets for workplace plans. The proposal includes regulatory "safe harbors" intended to reduce litigation risk for fiduciaries that follow specified review standards. Under the proposed framework, plan sponsors would not be required to add crypto or other alternatives. Employers that choose to offer them would need to document an objective review and show the options meet the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's prudence requirements. The proposal would cover more than 90 million retirement savers and would require fiduciaries to assess performance, fees, liquidity, valuation, redemption terms and participants' ability to understand an investment. The March 2026 proposal has also drawn political opposition. In June 2026, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Bobby Scott urged the Labor Department to withdraw the rule, arguing that cryptocurrency could expose workers to price volatility, fraud and weaker protections than those applied to public securities. They also questioned whether fiduciaries can reliably value certain digital assets as securities law continues to evolve. The Labor Department proposal remains in the federal rulemaking process and could be revised, finalized or withdrawn after public comment. The new survey highlights the tension facing policymakers and plan sponsors: many Americans are financially strained and behind on retirement savings, yet a majority remain uncomfortable adding high-volatility assets like cryptocurrency to long-term workplace savings vehicles. For fiduciaries, the takeaway is that any crypto addition is likely to face heightened scrutiny over fees, valuation, liquidity and suitability—and that public confidence in crypto as a retirement investment remains low.