Republican members jointly pressured the SEC to accelerate the inclusion of 401(k) into encryption assets.

On August 2025, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order allowing retirement plans such as 401(k) to include alternative assets including Crypto Assets, private sale, and real estate. Subsequently, on September 22, nine U.S. Republican Congress members jointly sent a letter to the SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, requesting the SEC to revise the current regulations as soon as possible and to expedite the implementation of this order by the Department of Labor.

Trump signed an executive order requiring the opening of 401(k) encryption investments.

Trump signed the executive order "Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors" at the beginning of August.

The order clearly requires the SEC to collaborate with the Department of Labor to review the current rules for Accredited Investor ( and Qualified Purchaser ), ensuring that the general public can more easily invest in alternative assets, including Crypto Assets.

( Trump plans to open up the U.S. 401(k) retirement plan to invest in Crypto Assets, with an expected scale of 9 trillion dollars )

Republican lawmakers jointly pressured the SEC to implement it as soon as possible.

Subsequently, on September 22, nine Republican members of Congress jointly sent a letter to SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, requesting prompt assistance to the Department of Labor and necessary adjustments to the current regulations and guidelines. The signatory members include House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill and Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairwoman Ann Wagner.

The image is a joint letter from Republican members.

The letter emphasizes that this action will help the 90 million Americans who are currently unable to invest in alternative assets, allowing them to build a more secure asset portfolio for their retirement.

This letter also points out the background of the policy shift. In May of this year, the U.S. Department of Labor withdrew its previous "anti-encryption" guidelines. The old guidelines had warned pension trustees that if cryptocurrency investments were included in the plan, they must view it "cautiously." Now, with the major policy turnaround, it means that the federal government has relaxed its stance on including crypto assets in retirement plans.

(Wall Street Journal: Trump plans to issue an executive order to punish banks for refusing to serve clients due to political stance)

DC pension funds of 13 trillion dollars, transferring 1% into Crypto Assets is quite substantial.

As of the second quarter of 2025, the total assets of defined contribution retirement plans in the United States, such as 401k, 403b, IRA, etc., amount to approximately 13 trillion dollars.

These retirement funds are jointly contributed by employers and employees, and individuals can choose their own investment targets. They are one of the largest pools of private retirement savings in the United States. Assuming that 1% of the $13 trillion DC fund is allocated to Crypto Assets, it would mean approximately $130 billion would flow into the crypto market, which is quite substantial. However, whether future policies will actually be implemented remains to be seen.

( Pensions can buy coins! Trump signs executive order: 401)k( will open up investment in Crypto Assets and private sale (

This article discusses how Republican members are jointly pressuring the SEC to expedite the inclusion of 401)k) into Crypto Assets, first appearing on Chain News ABMedia.