The proposal for the U.S. 401(k) rules does not limit the types of currencies, but there are still barriers to the entry of altcoins

A proposal by the U.S. Department of Labor to allow 401(k) retirement plans to allocate alternative assets such as cryptocurrencies has been submitted to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for final review on Thursday. The proposal aims to simplify the process for retirement plans to offer alternative investments and provide certain legal protections for employers and plan administrators. The version released by the Department of Labor in March did not specify which digital assets could be included, nor did it set a minimum market capitalization threshold, but it requires administrators to assess six factors: performance, fees, liquidity, valuation, benchmarks, and complexity.

Teresa Goody Guillén, managing partner of Bellementis PLLC, stated that Bitcoin and Ethereum may be adopted first due to their mature markets and investment products, but altcoins will not be automatically excluded; plan administrators must demonstrate that their investment choices meet standards of prudence, liquidity, valuation, and investor protection. Bernardo Brites, co-founder and CEO of Trace Finance, noted that some smaller tokens may struggle to meet historical performance and benchmark requirements. The proposal does not limit crypto investments to ETFs or managed funds, but Guillén expects such products may emerge before direct holdings.