Crypto IRAs compared
A crypto IRA lets your retirement savings hold bitcoin and other coins, and you can fund one by rolling over money from an old 401(k). The 9 firms covered here charge in quite different ways. On a $10,000 balance, annual costs run anywhere from $0 to $250, so the firm you pick matters. Call a retirement specialist to talk through your own options before any 401(k) money moves.
Type your balance to see each custodian's cost in dollars.
9 custodians, sorted by lowest yearly cost for a $50,000 balance until you type yours.
| Custodian | To buy in | Each year after | Selling | Coins | 401(k) rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iTrustCapitalMinimum $1,000 | 1% of each buy | $0 | 1% of each sale | 100+ listed: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Litecoin, Dogecoin | Yes: rollovers from old 401(k) plans |
| Fidelity Crypto IRA | 1% of each buy | $0 | 1% of each sale | 4: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, Litecoin | Yes: a Crypto Rollover IRA |
| Coin IRAMinimum $5,000 | 1.25% of each buy | $0 | 1% of each sale | 17: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Litecoin | Yes: 401(k) and 403(b) rollovers |
| IRA Financial | 1% of each buy | $100 a year | 1% of each sale | 20+: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Litecoin, Dogecoin | Yes |
| Swan | 1% of each buy | 0.02% a month, at least $20 a month | 1% of each sale | Bitcoin only: Bitcoin | Yes: old 401(k) and 403(b) rollovers |
| UnchainedMinimum $2,000 | 1.5% of each buy | $250 a year | 1.5% of each sale | Bitcoin only: Bitcoin | Yes: employer plan rollovers take about two weeks |
| Public (Alto CryptoIRA) | at least 1.25% of each buy | 0.05% a month | at least 1.25% of each sale | 40+ listed: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Litecoin, Dogecoin | Yes |
| BitcoinIRAMinimum $1,000 | 2% of each buy | 0.08% a month, at least $20 a month | 2% of each sale | 100+: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Litecoin, Dogecoin | Yes |
| Choice | 1.49% down to 1% by trade size | 0.0833% a month, at least $20 a month | same tiers as buying | 23: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, Litecoin, Dogecoin | Yes: old 401(k) rollovers |
How the 9 crypto IRA companies stack up
A custodian is the company that legally holds your IRA's assets and keeps its records. What separates the firms is 3 types of charge: one when you buy, one when you sell, and one for keeping your coins year after year.
- Nothing charged per year: iTrustCapital, Fidelity Crypto IRA, and Coin IRA.
- A single flat annual amount: IRA Financial and Unchained.
- A small slice of your balance, billed monthly: Swan, Public (Alto CryptoIRA), BitcoinIRA, and Choice.
Which firm costs you the least comes down to your balance and your trading habits. Call a retirement specialist now to talk through those trade-offs before you move any 401(k) money, since a plan that pays you directly holds back 20% and gives you only 60 days to deposit the full amount.
Does Coinbase offer an IRA?
Coinbase's retirement guide points readers to IRAs and Grayscale funds.
Two other popular apps take different approaches:
- Robinhood: a Robinhood IRA doesn't include crypto.
- Kraken: a self-directed IRA is eligible for a Kraken business account. With a self-directed IRA, you choose investments outside the usual funds, like coins, using a custodian that permits them.
Crypto IRA fees in dollars
Even a cheap trading fee can end up costing more in the long run when the holding fee rises with your balance. At $250,000, with no trades after the first buy, iTrustCapital costs $0 a year, Unchained $250 a year, and BitcoinIRA $2,400 a year.
Those annual figures are based on Unchained at $250 per year and BitcoinIRA at 0.08% of the balance each month, with a $20 minimum per month. BitcoinIRA also takes 2% on every purchase and every sale.
BitIRA takes a different approach. Equity Trust, its custodian, levies no setup or yearly fee, though a cost of up to 1% comes built into the coin prices you pay.
How to roll a 401(k) into a crypto IRA
You can roll over money from a former employer's 401(k) whenever you like. A plan with your current employer can only move money while you're still on the job if the plan permits it.
The easiest path is a direct rollover. Your old plan pays the money straight to the new custodian, so no tax is withheld, and nothing gets taxed when pre-tax money goes to a traditional IRA. If the plan pays you directly instead, it keeps 20% for federal tax, which works out to $4,000 on $20,000. From there you have 60 days to deposit the whole amount, that $4,000 included, into an IRA.
New contributions face their own limit. For 2026, the IRA contribution limit stands at $7,500.
Before your old plan sends any money, call a retirement specialist, who will walk you through your own options for a rollover, a solo 401(k) or crypto in your 401(k). It's one call that can save you from the 20% holdback and the 60-day deadline, and what happens next is your decision.
Your questions, answered
Does Fidelity offer a crypto IRA?
Yes, the Fidelity Crypto IRA carries no account fee and charges 1% every time you buy and every time you sell. That 1% on each trade and no yearly charge puts it among the cheapest ways to hold coins in an IRA.
Where did Alto CryptoIRA go?
Alto CryptoIRA is listed under Public, and Public posts its fees: 1.25% when you buy, 1.25% when you sell, plus 0.05% of your balance each month. At a $50,000 balance, that's $300 a year.
What if I withdraw from a crypto IRA early?
The site's early-withdrawal example includes a 10% additional tax, plus federal and state income taxes. Picture a $20,000 withdrawal at age 45, with a 22% federal bracket and 5% state tax: you'd keep $12,600.
How does the IRS tax crypto?
At the federal level, the IRS views crypto as property rather than money.
Do these firms pay this site?
No. This site is not paid by any custodian or 401(k) provider, and the links on this page show the sources for the information.