Crypto Roth IRA: rules, custodians and a calculator
A crypto Roth IRA is simply a Roth IRA that holds coins like bitcoin, and a handful of companies will set one up for you. Each of these accounts works through a custodian, meaning the firm that legally holds the IRA's assets and handles its paperwork. The company you pick decides which kinds of IRA you can open and what you'll pay, so it's worth comparing a few before you sign up.
Custodians that offer one
All of the companies below offer a Roth IRA. A few open additional account types too, which is useful when you're self-employed or looking to move an old employer plan.
- iTrustCapital: SEP, Traditional and Roth IRA choices
- Public (Alto CryptoIRA): Traditional and Roth IRAs
- BitcoinIRA: SIMPLE, SEP, Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Coin IRA: inherited, SIMPLE, SEP, Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Choice: Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Swan: Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Unchained: SEP, Traditional and Roth IRAs
- Fidelity Crypto IRA: rollover, Traditional and Roth IRAs
- IRA Financial: Traditional and Roth IRAs
Fees at each custodian
This table compares purchase fees and yearly account fees for a $10,000 account, assuming no further trades; selling can cost extra.
| Custodian | Fee to buy in | Yearly fee |
|---|---|---|
| iTrustCapital | $100 | $0 |
| Fidelity Crypto IRA | $100 | $0 |
| Coin IRA | $125 | $0 |
| IRA Financial | $100 | $100 |
| Public (Alto CryptoIRA) | $125 | $60 |
| Swan | $100 | $240 |
| Unchained | $150 | $250 |
| Choice | $149 | $240 |
| BitcoinIRA | $200 | $240 |
At bigger balances, iTrustCapital, Fidelity and Coin IRA still charge nothing a year, while Public, Choice and BitcoinIRA's yearly fees climb into the thousands.
Fidelity's Crypto IRA
Fidelity's Crypto IRA is offered as Roth, Traditional and rollover accounts, and it carries a $0 account fee. Crypto purchases cost 1.0% of the trade, and selling costs 1.0% as well. On a $10,000 buy, the purchase fee is $100.
Roth versus traditional IRA: a calculator example
The calculator lets you compare Roth and traditional IRAs using your amount, your tax rate today and the rate you expect in retirement. Say you have $30,000, pay 22% tax today and expect to pay 12% in retirement. In that case a traditional IRA leaves you about $3,000 more than a Roth, because you'd pay the lower rate later instead of the higher one now.
Shifting pre-tax 401(k) dollars into a Roth IRA creates a tax bill in the year of the move. With a 22% rate, moving $30,000 adds roughly $6,600 to your federal tax for that year.
Rolling a 401(k) over to a crypto IRA
You can roll money from a former employer's 401(k) into a crypto IRA whenever you like. Money sitting in your current employer's plan calls for an in-service rollover, which means shifting 401(k) money to an IRA while you're still employed there. That works only when your plan permits it.
In a direct rollover, your old plan sends the money straight to the new IRA custodian. Nothing is withheld on this route. Keep in mind, though, that pre-tax dollars moved into a Roth IRA are still taxed in that year.
When the plan sends the money to you instead, 20% gets held back for federal tax. You then get 60 days to deposit the full sum into an IRA, including replacing the 20% that was withheld. Whatever is not rolled over becomes taxable and may also trigger the 10% extra tax.
Withdrawing from a crypto Roth IRA
For a Roth IRA withdrawal to count as a qualified, tax-free distribution, it must meet the five-year rule and one of these conditions:
- you have reached age 59½
- you live with a disability
- the withdrawal helps buy a first home
- the payout happens after the owner dies
Roth vs traditional IRA calculator
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Questions people ask
How much can I put in each year?
For 2026, you can put up to $7,500 into an IRA.
What if I cash out my 401(k) rather than roll it over?
Cashing out costs more than most people expect. If you're 45 and take out $20,000, the 10% early-withdrawal charge, federal tax at 22% and a 5% state tax together could leave you with about $12,600. A direct rollover to a traditional IRA would keep the whole $20,000 in retirement savings with no tax now, while moving pre-tax money into a Roth IRA would create a tax bill.
Can I keep crypto in my 401(k) while staying in the plan?
Sometimes. Some employers offer a brokerage window, an optional account inside your 401(k) that lets you buy funds and ETFs beyond the usual menu. Check with your plan to see whether it has one and what it lets you buy. Keep in mind that with a crypto fund, you own shares of the fund rather than the coins themselves.