Labor Department Reverses Biden-Era Stance on Crypto in 401(k) Plans

The agency says it will be neutral on whether retirement plan fiduciaries include cryptocurrency options.
Labor Department Reverses Biden-Era Stance on Crypto in 401(k) Plans
Representations of the cryptocurrency bitcoin are seen in this illustration created in Paris, March 9, 2024. Benoit Tessier/Illustration/Reuters
Chase Smith
Updated:
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The U.S. Department of Labor on May 28 rescinded 2022 guidance that warned fiduciaries against including cryptocurrency in 401(k) retirement plans, reversing a Biden-era policy that critics said discouraged innovation in retirement investing.
The 2022 compliance release had advised plan fiduciaries to exercise “extreme care” before adding crypto assets. The department now says that this language deviated from the standards of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which lays out fiduciary duties to act prudently and solely in the interest of plan participants.
Chase Smith
Chase Smith
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Chase is an award-winning journalist. He covers national news for The Epoch Times and is based out of Tennessee. For news tips, send Chase an email at [email protected] or connect with him on X.
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