Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are both tax-advantaged savings accounts that provide investors with opportunities to save for retirement. Since their inception in 1974, IRAs have dramatically evolved to meet investors' demands and needs. One of those advancements is the Bitcoin IRA. Bitcoin IRAs combine the best of two key benefits: a tax-advantaged account and the ability to invest in cryptocurrency.
However, while cryptocurrency can be profitable, the crypto field is riddled with scams and bad actors. The best practice in protecting your Bitcoin IRA is to choose a platform that not only fits your financial needs but helps secure your account. Here at Investopedia, we chose Alto IRA as the best overall Bitcoin IRA. Investopedia explored eight of the best Bitcoin IRAs available and compared the platforms, using 16 different criteria we deemed essential for investors, such as account minimums, fees, and security features. Below is our carefully curated list of the best Bitcoin IRAs to consider.
Best Bitcoin IRA Companies for April 2025
- Best Overall: Alto IRA
- Best Rates and Fees: iTrustCapital
- Best Digital Asset Insurance: Bitcoin IRA
- Best for Security: BitIRA
- Best for Self-Directed Investments: Equity Trust Company
Investing in cryptocurrencies, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), and other Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) is highly risky and speculative, and the markets can be extremely volatile. Consult with a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. This article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies nor can the accuracy or timeliness of the information be guaranteed.
Best Overall : Alto IRA
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- Account Minimum: $10
- Transaction Fees: 1% trading fee
- Insurance Protection: FDIC coverage for uninvested cash
Alto is the best overall Bitcoin IRA company for investors looking to diversify their retirement portfolio with crypto. That’s largely because of its cost-effective account requirements and pricing. The company offers its clients a $0 custody fee to invest. A minimum investment of $10 and a 1% trading fee are required. The large number of tradable assets is also beneficial. Investors who open an account with Alto have access to over 250 types of cryptocurrency, including popular digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Cardano (ADA).
Low cost-effective trading fees
$10 account minimum
Over 250 available assets
Service fees are on the high side
Does not possess research tools for fundamental and technical analysis
The blog, news, and podcast are outdated and not routinely refreshed
Alto IRA was founded in 2015 and is currently headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. While it is a relatively new company, especially in the finance space, it is nonetheless Investopedia's choice as the best overall Bitcoin IRA offering. Remember, cryptocurrency is highly volatile and speculative, posing risks that can cause investors to lose money. Still, Alto IRA has a cost-effective approach that customers will appreciate.
Customers can open a Bitcoin IRA with just $10 yet incur $0 in custody or account fees. The only fee that traders have to pay is the 1% transaction fee. Many rivals charge 2% to buy crypto and 1% to sell crypto. Some assess high set-up fees. Many levy annual fees. So Alto IRA’s charge is relatively tame, and its price structure is transparent.
Customers have the option to open a traditional, Roth, or SEP IRA and can trade over 250 cryptocurrencies of their choosing while any capital gains in the account are tax-deferred or tax-free. While invested cryptocurrency in the account is not FDIC-insured, any uninvested cash is, but only up to the standard amount of $250,000. While the IRA is overseen by Alto IRA, its custodian is Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. That means Coinbase not only safeguards the assets in a combination of hot and cold storage safeguarding but also ensures that the assets are insured with commercial crime and cybercrime insurance.
Alto IRA offers a great service overall, but the company lacks fundamental and technical analysis capabilities. Customers who need to conduct research need to do it on another platform, such as Trading View. Also, the company's educational offering could be better; it has an outdated podcast, and its blog and news do not provide relevant information. However, the company does have a decent enough glossary that explains cryptocurrency lingo.
Best Rates and Fees : iTrustCapital
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iTrustCapital
- Account Minimum: $1,000
- Transaction Fees: 1% per transaction
- Insurance Protection: Commercial crime insurance policy
Best Rates and Fees
Investopedia found iTrustCapital to be the best Bitcoin IRA for rates and fees. The company offers a cost-effective process for opening a Bitcoin IRA. Upon opening an account, customers do not have to pay any account opening costs or monthly fees and will only be subject to a 1% transaction fee when adding crypto to the IRA.
Best Investor Experience
In addition to its cost-effective approach, iTrustCapital also wins the best investor experience category. Opening an account is easy and smooth. When clients are ready to fund an account, they have many options, ranging from transferring an existing IRA to rolling over an employer-sponsored plan such as a 401(k), 457, 403(b), thrift savings plan (TSP), or funding it with regular contributions.
A good selection of educational content
Smooth account opening and funding process
Low account and trading fees
No access to financial advisors
Minimum investment of $1,000
Clients cannot easily contact customer service
iTrustCapital was founded in 2018 and is currently headquartered in Irvine, California, and is Investopedia’s choice for having the best rates and fees with respect to having a Bitcoin IRA. Although the company has a steep account minimum of $1,000 to open a Bitcoin IRA, it does not, come with any set-up fees or recurring monthly charges. The only relevant fee is a 1% transaction fee, which is very reasonable considering many other companies charge much more.
Along with its low operating costs, customers have access to a wide range of educational content, including informative articles and on-demand videos. While the news section could be more timely, it’s not a bad feature. iTrustCapital also offers decent research tools, although other external research sites provide better research capabilities. Clients and non-clients can get a quick overview of various cryptocurrencies offered by the platform.
iTrustCapital offers its service at a very reasonable and competitive cost, but the company could do better at supporting its clients. For instance, clients needing customer service often find it difficult to get in touch quickly, as they have to schedule a date and time to talk to someone. As for financial guidance, the company simply does not offer access to financial advisors. Still, its support page is very helpful and put together very well. It addresses many potential problems so customers can resolve issues themselves.
Best Digital Asset Insurance : Bitcoin IRA
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Bitcoin IRA
- Account Minimum: $3,000
- Transaction Fees: $2.99% set-up fee, 2.00% trading fee, 0.08% monthly fee
- Insurance Protection: FDIC, Bitgo Wallet
Investopedia found that Bitcoin IRA, through its partnerships, offers the best digital asset insurance in the industry. While cash held in a Bitcoin IRA account is held by its banking partners, the FDIC insures it up to the standard amount of $250,000. But that’s not why it won this category. The insurance policy issued to its cryptocurrency wallet partner, Bitgo Wallet, covers that firm against loss, theft, and misuse of cryptocurrency for up to $250 million.
Comprehensive insurance coverage
Wide range of educational material
Over 75 cryptocurrencies to invest in
High account minimum of at least $3,000 to open an account
Account setup and trading fees are high
Limited deposit methods only allow IRA rollover or bank transfers
Bitcoin IRA was founded in 2016 and is now headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is Investopedia's choice for the best digital asset insurance. While many financial platforms that offer Bitcoin IRAs provide FDIC insurance for uninvested cash, unfortunately, that may not be enough for some investors in the case of cryptocurrency. FDIC insurance only covers uninvested cash. Fortunately, Bitcoin IRA goes a step further in protecting customers' accounts.
Bitcoin IRA offers FDIC insurance up to $250,000 for uninvested cash. This cash will be deposited with its banking partner and will be held there until the customer is ready to invest in a cryptocurrency of their choice. Once the customer is ready to start investing and chooses the digital asset to invest in, the digital asset will be held with Bitcoin IRA’s cryptocurrency wallet partner, Bitgo Wallet. Bitgo Wallet insures its digital assets for up to $250 million for the disappearance, theft, or negligence of the custodian. It’s important to note this insurance does not cover lost value within the account for the cryptocurrency invested by the customer.
Bitcoin IRA provides customers with peace of mind due to its high standards protecting their clients' accounts. However, that peace of mind comes at a cost for customers considering opening an account with Bitcoin IRA. To open an account, customers must meet the $3,000 account minimum requirements.
Once the account is open, customers face relatively high fees when trading within the account. Set-up fees are 2.99% and are collected from deposited funds. Trading fees, which apply to buys and sells, cost 2.00% of the transaction value. And accounts cost 0.08% on a monthly basis. While BitCoin IRA is more expensive than many such platforms, having the type of insurance its partners provide makes it worth considering.
Best for Security : BitIRA
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BitIRA
- Account Minimum: $7,000 - $10,000
- Transaction Fees: 2% purchase fee, 1% sale fee, 1% liquidity fee
- Insurance Protection: FDIC
BitIRA is best for security due to its high standards for protecting its clients' Bitcoin IRAs. Customers who open an account with BitIRA can expect their accounts to be secured with multi-signature authorization and SOC 2 Type 2 certification, in addition to FDIC and end-to-end insurance. BitIRA also does a good job of educating its Bitcoin IRA holders about doing their part to secure and protect their accounts from scams, fraud, and bad actors alike.
BitIRA is a platform that emphasizes security
Its news service is routinely updated
The company has excellent customer service
High account minimum to open an account
It does not offer research tools
Customers can only choose up to 17 cryptocurrencies
BitIRA was founded in 2017 and is currently headquartered in Burbank, California, and is best for customers who emphasize security for their Bitcoin IRAs. Customers can expect their accounts to be secured with multi-signature authorization, which is managed by BitIRA’s partner Ledger Enterprise. This means that when account holders make a transaction, it undergoes a series of multi-layered encryption processes for each transaction to be authorized, keeping your account safe.
BitIRA also adheres to a high degree of compliance and ensures it meets its SOC 2 Type 2 certification. It even registers itself as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FinCEN and fully complies with the IRS by partnering with Equity Trust Company, offering up to $4 million in FDIC insurance for uninvested cash deposits.
BitIRA offers an excellent secure service for Bitcoin IRA holders; however, it only offers 17 types of cryptocurrency. Customers will find that it offers the most popular, such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Lite Coin, and Solana, but customers who want more choices should carefully weigh whether BitIRA is their best option.
Also, customers need to meet BitIRA’s high minimum deposit requirement to open a traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE IRA, or a Solo 401(k) account. Customers who want to open an account without conducting a rollover or transfer can do so with a $7,000 minimum. Customers who do intend to rollover an account or transfer need to move at least $10,000. However, there are no setup fees or recurring fees. While BitIRA partners with Equity Trust Company, customers can expect a 2% purchase fee, 1% sale fee, and 1% liquidity costs.
Best for Self-Directed Investments : Equity Trust Company
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Equity Trust Company
- Account Minimum: $500
- Transaction Fees: 2% purchase fee, 1% sale fee, 1% liquidity costs
- Insurance Protection: FDIC
The Equity Trust Company is a premier service for self-directed IRAs, best suited for customers who want full control of their Bitcoin IRA. While self-directed accounts are complex and can be difficult to manage, the Equity Trust Company has structured its service to make the account opening process smooth and transparent, allowing access to many investor resources managing a self-directed account.
Many Bitcoin IRA types to choose from
Provides up to $4 million in FDIC insurance
Excellent education and customer service
Limited offering of cryptocurrency types
$50 application fee to open an account
Master Academy comes at a cost
Equity Trust Company was founded in 1974 and is currently headquartered in Westlake, Ohio. It is best for customers looking to open a self-directed Bitcoin IRA. However, what sets this company apart from other self-directed IRAs is how transparent the site is and the education and resources it offers to help customers manage their self-directed accounts. It is important to note that the company does not offer tax, legal, or investment advice. However, for administration purposes and general support services, customers have a wide range of communication options when contacting Equity Trust Company.
In addition to its customer service, its blog offers a strong educational component, touching on many topics, including investor insights, tax insights, and how to better manage your self-directed account. However, its Master Academy course comes at a cost. While it provides good value with a lot to offer, it can be expensive, costing $99 to $299, for topics on IRAs.
Customers wanting to open a self-directed Bitcoin IRA will find the Equity Trust Company a great option. The account opening process is easy and smooth, even though there is a $50 application fee and a minimum account of $500. Customers can choose between a traditional, Roth, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA in addition to a solo 401(k) or a Roth 401(k).
Once a customer opens a Bitcoin IRA with Equity Trust Company, the account holder can add crypto to their account. Customers can expect purchase fees of 2%, sale fees of 1%, and liquidity fees also at 1%. Those fees are assessed when the account holder executes trades. Although the company offers a limited variety of crypto, it does allow access to popular coins such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
Why You Should Trust Us
Since 1999, Investopedia has focused on educating readers about various investing and trading platforms to help them choose the option that best suits their needs. Investopedia editors, industry expert researchers, and staff writers have diligently researched and investigated the Bitcoin IRA field and examined information for each of 16 vital criteria for investors to find the best Bitcoin IRA. We then compared the eight best companies offering Bitcoin IRAs. We put each company against our criteria, such as account minimum, fees, IRA types, and range of digital assets.
How Does A Bitcoin IRA Work?
A Bitcoin IRA is a type of self-directed IRA that allows people to invest in cryptocurrencies—like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana—within their tax-sheltered retirement savings.
A Bitcoin IRA allows people to take advantage of the tax benefits of IRAs while investing in volatile investments with high potential returns. Bitcoin IRA providers typically offer different options for the type of IRA customers can open—like a traditional or a Roth.
With a traditional IRA, investors don’t pay taxes until they take distributions in retirement, which means they don’t have to pay capital gains tax or income tax when trading.Plus, some people receive a tax deduction when they make contributions.
With a Roth IRA, investors pay taxes on their upfront contributions and then don’t pay taxes when they take money out in retirement if they’ve had the Roth IRA for at least five years and are age 59-1/2 or older.Earnings are also free from income tax and capital gains tax. However, not everyone is eligible for a Roth IRA, as there are income thresholds for eligibility.
For 2025, the contribution limit for IRAs is $7,000, but people age 50 and older can contribute up to an additional $1,000.
Investors should be aware that Bitcoin IRAs can be riskier than conventional IRAs because there are different rules and regulations for self-directed IRAs versus conventional IRAs.
With conventional IRAs, custodians—or banks and other companies that hold IRAs for investors—play a greater role in curating the types of investments that people can choose, typically restricting investors to options like exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
Yet with self-directed IRAs, custodians aren’t responsible for determining the legitimacy or quality of investments. Therefore, the responsibility of evaluating investments falls on the individual investor.
Self-directed IRAs may also have higher fees than conventional IRAs, charging trading fees, set-up fees, and more, making them a more expensive option.
Who Is A Bitcoin IRA Good For?
A Bitcoin IRA is best for investors who have a high risk tolerance and want to capitalize on the tax advantages of IRAs. But everyday investors should be fully aware of the benefits and drawbacks of Bitcoin IRAs before investing.
Proponents of Bitcoin say investors benefit from including cryptocurrency in their portfolios because it provides diversification, offers high potential returns, and can be used as a hedge against inflation.
But some critics dismiss the digital asset as speculative. They point out that Bitcoin’s significant volatility, short price history, and the changing regulatory landscape are notable risks when investing.
It’s a good idea to exercise caution before investing your retirement funds in crypto, especially if you’re close to retiring.
Pros & Cons of Bitcoin IRAs
High potential returns
Tax advantages
Diversification
Volatility
High fees
Risk
Pros Explained
- High potential returns: Some people may profit greatly from investing in cryptocurrencies: But high potential rewards come with high risks. Bitcoin’s volatility is often cited as a drawback of investing in the cryptocurrency, yet its value has increased substantially since its inception in 2008, hitting more $100,000 for the first time in 2024.
- Tax advantages: By investing in cryptocurrency through an IRA, you can defer taxes on your investments and let them grow tax-free over time, whether it’s a traditional or Roth IRA. Like stocks, trading cryptocurrency can be subject to short or long-term capital gains tax. However, when you buy or sell crypto in a traditional IRA, you don’t have to pay any taxes until you take distributions in retirement. And if you’ve reached age 59-½ and have a Roth that’s at least five years old, you only pay taxes on your upfront contributions, which means you don’t have to pay taxes on investment gains that you withdraw.
- Diversification: Diversification is a strategy used to reduce volatility in a portfolio. By including different types of investments, you reduce the risk of any single investment in your portfolio. Some experts claim that Bitcoin is not correlated with assets like stocks or bonds, which would make it useful for portfolio diversification.
Cons Explained
- Volatility: One of the most notable characteristics of Bitcoin is its volatility—prices can swing more than 10% in a day. If you plan to invest in cryptocurrency, be prepared to experience significant gains and drawdowns. To reduce volatility, consider keeping your allocation towards crypto low, like less than 5% of your portfolio.
- High fees: Self-directed Bitcoin IRAs typically charge trading fees, annual fees, and more, which can add up. If you want a more affordable option, consider opening a conventional IRA—many of the best IRAs don’t have account minimums, don’t charge trading fees, and offer ETFs and mutual funds with low expense ratios.
- Risk: Due to Bitcoin’s volatility, it’s possible to experience dramatic losses and gains, which may not be ideal for investors who are saving for retirement. Many Americans have little to no money saved up for their later years and putting money in a volatile investment like Bitcoin could leave them with insufficient savings.
How We Picked the Best Bitcoin IRA
Investopedia is focused on providing readers with a fully comprehensive, unbiased review of the best companies providing Bitcoin IRAs. To find the best company, Investopedia collected data about 16 criteria by researching eight leading companies offering Bitcoin IRAs. Our review of the best Bitcoin IRAs is a carefully curated list based on our proprietary research.
Investopedia used the following categories and weights to rate each company according to its offering:
- Pricing and Fees: 24%
- Security: 21%
- Account Amenities: 20%
- Product Selection: 15%
- Customer Service: 10%
- Education and Research: 10%
Investopedia used this data to build a rubric to evaluate each company based on its offering to fairly and accurately provide a verdict on the best Bitcoin IRA. Our data collection process ran from Jan. 8 to Jan. 15, 2025.
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Natnan Srisuwan / Getty Image
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