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White House Clears Path for Crypto in 401(k) Retirement Plans

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Crypto Breaking News

The White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has completed its review of a Department of Labor (DOL) proposal that could reshape how 401(k) fiduciaries evaluate alternative assets, including digital-asset exposure. Reginfo.gov indicates the review concluded on March 24, with the action labeled “consistent with change” and the proposal deemed economically significant. The DOL is now expected to publish the proposed rule for a standard 60-day public comment period, a typical step that precedes revisions and a final rule.

The move sits inside a broader policy push from the executive branch. President Donald Trump’s August 7, 2025, executive order directed federal agencies to expand access to alternative assets in 401(k) plans, including digital assets via qualified investment vehicles. The order also directed the Department of the Treasury and the Securities and Exchange Commission to coordinate on enabling rule changes, signaling an inter-agency push to rethink the boundaries of what retirement plans can hold.

The regulatory moment follows a related shift at the Department of Labor in May. The DOL rescinded a 2022 compliance release that advised fiduciaries to be “extremely cautious” about crypto in 401(k) retirement plans, a move that another way signaled the government’s evolving stance toward crypto exposure in defined-contribution accounts.

Taken together with market context, the policy signals arrive as the U.S. retirement market sits near historic scales. A record $48.1 trillion in financial assets was reported as of September 30, 2025, according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI), underscoring the potential impact of any broadening of asset access in 401(k) plans.

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Separately, state-level momentum continues to unfold. In Indiana, lawmakers passed a bill on February 25 that would require certain state retirement and savings plans to offer a self-directed brokerage option with at least one crypto investment by July 1, 2027. The bill would allow Indiana residents to hold Bitcoin and other digital assets as part of their retirement portfolios for the first time.

Key takeaways

  • The OIRA review of the DOL proposal concluded on March 24 and is described as economically significant, with the rule set to enter a 60-day public comment period after publication.
  • The move aligns with a broader White House directive, via an August 2025 executive order, to expand access to alternative assets in 401(k) plans and calls for inter-agency coordination on rule changes involving crypto and other alt assets.
  • In late May 2025, the DOL rescinded its 2022 guidance urging fiduciaries to be cautious about crypto in 401(k) plans, signaling a shift in regulatory posture toward digital-asset exposure.
  • Contextualizing the policy, the U.S. retirement market’s asset base reached about $48.1 trillion by September 2025, highlighting the potential scale of any policy shift.
  • State-level action, notably Indiana’s February 25 measure, would require crypto exposure options in certain public retirement plans within a few years, illustrating a broader trend toward practical access beyond federal rulemaking alone.

Interagency push aims to redefine fiduciary considerations

At the core of the DOL proposal is a potential redefinition of how fiduciaries evaluate and select investments within defined-contribution plans. By expanding the set of permissible assets to include digital assets alongside traditional alternative classes—such as private equity and real estate—the rule could widen the menu available to plan sponsors and participants. The forthcoming public-comment process will be crucial in detailing which asset types are eligible, how custody and valuation would be handled, and what risk management standards would apply. The inter-agency framing, reinforced by the executive order, suggests a coordinated effort to address cross-cutting issues such as investor protections, fiduciary duties, and market integrity as crypto markets mature.

Market scale adds urgency to policy shifts

The potential policy change arrives against a backdrop of substantial retirement asset accumulation. ICI’s latest quarterly data show that total U.S. retirement assets stood at a record $48.1 trillion as of September 2025, underscoring the magnitude of any shift that could broaden exposure to digital assets through 401(k) plans. For institutions managing retirement funds, the policy signal could influence product design, investment governance, and the timing of launches for crypto-inclusive retirement vehicles.

State-level experiments foreshadow adoption

Beyond federal action, state legislatures are already testing the waters. Indiana’s bill would mandate at least one crypto option within a self-directed brokerage framework offered by state retirement and savings plans, with a deadline for July 1, 2027. If implemented, residents would be able to hold BTC and other digital assets in retirement accounts through a regulated, state-backed vehicle. This development mirrors broader regulatory debates about how to reconcile investor access with safeguards, and how to integrate digital assets into mainstream retirement planning.

For observers, the next steps are clear. The DOL’s proposed rule will enter a public-comment phase, during which industry participants, fiduciaries, and plan sponsors will weigh the practical implications of expanded crypto access, including governance standards, valuation, liquidity, custody, and tax treatment. At the same time, market participants should watch how the Treasury and the SEC respond to the inter-agency directive and how state initiatives like Indiana’s law interact with potential federal- or plan-level changes. The ongoing dialogue between regulators, plan sponsors, and asset managers will shape not only the pace of adoption but also the safeguards that accompany broader crypto exposure in retirement portfolios.

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As the public comment window opens, readers should stay attentive to how proposed asset categories are defined, what risk controls are proposed, and when a final rule might be expected. Until then, the policy trajectory suggests a gradual but consequential shift in how mainstream retirement investing could accommodate digital assets in the years ahead.

Source framing: The regulatory review referenced here tracks with Reginfo.gov records and reporting noted in Cointelegraph coverage, including the DOL’s May 2025 guidance reversal and the August 2025 executive-order push. For additional context, Indiana’s legislature and related policy discussions were reported in contemporary coverage tied to state-level crypto retirement access initiatives.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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XRP spot ETFs defy crypto slump with $1.4B in inflows as Bitcoin, gold and silver funds see outflows, JPMorgan says

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XRP Price Glitch Sends XRP to $126 on CNBC Broadcast

XRP exchange-traded funds are pulling in fresh capital at a pace that puts them at odds with the rest of the market, as investors rotate out of gold and silver ETFs while keeping steady allocations to Bitcoin products amid geopolitical tensions and higher rates.

Summary

  • XRP spot ETFs have amassed about $1.4 billion in net inflows since launch in November 2025, even as XRP’s price slid more than 30% from recent highs.
  • By contrast, gold ETFs have seen nearly $11 billion in outflows in three weeks, while silver products also bled capital as rising rates and a stronger dollar pressured precious metals.
  • JPMorgan says Bitcoin ETFs are holding net inflows and showing “greater resilience” than gold and silver, underscoring a shift in how investors hedge geopolitical and macro risk.

Since their launch in November 2025, XRP (XRP)-linked ETFs have attracted more than $1.4 billion in cumulative net inflows, according to data highlighted by Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart, even as XRP has dropped roughly 33% over the past 90 days and 24% year-to-date to around $1.38. JPMorgan, meanwhile, reports that gold ETFs have suffered close to $11 billion in outflows over a three‑week stretch leading into March, with silver products seeing similarly heavy withdrawals as rising interest rates and a stronger dollar undercut the traditional safe havens.

In a recent note on ETF flows, Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, managing director at JPMorgan, said Bitcoin spot funds “have attracted approximately 1.5% in new assets” since the latest Middle East flare‑up began, while the largest gold ETF, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), “has experienced outflows totaling about 2.7% of its assets under management.” He argued this divergence “represents a significant departure from historical patterns where investors typically flock to gold during geopolitical uncertainty,” suggesting that BTC is increasingly viewed as “a viable alternative to traditional safe‑haven assets.” According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin briefly fell into the $60,000 range alongside other risk assets at the onset of the conflict but quickly stabilized and is now trading between $68,000 and $70,000, a range JPMorgan reads as evidence that “long‑term capital is re‑entering the market to support prices after the panic.”

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For XRP, the contrast between price action and ETF demand has become increasingly stark. Data compiled by SoSoValue and cited by Seyffart show cumulative XRP ETF inflows climbing from roughly $150 million in mid‑November to about $1.44 billion by early March, even as the token slid from recent peaks toward the low‑$1.30s. Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas called the performance “really impressive given these launched into a brutal 45% drawdown,” adding that such consistent buying is rare for newly listed products trading through a “reverse shiny object moment.” “My guess is this is largely XRP super fans vs casual retail,” Balchunas wrote, pointing to concentrated conviction rather than broad speculative froth.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has framed the flows as a structural shift in how investors access the token, saying the ETFs are “a sign of XRP’s long‑term payments potential” after the company’s courtroom win against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission unlocked the path for regulated products. According to a previous crypto.news story, spot XRP ETFs neared $1 billion in assets after just 13 days of consecutive inflows, following patterns seen after the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs. That momentum has since pushed cumulative net inflows to around $1.4 billion, with February alone contributing between $58 million and $106.8 million depending on the dataset, even as the broader crypto complex cooled.

JPMorgan’s latest work on cross‑asset positioning suggests that institutional traders have been steadily cutting exposure to gold and silver while leaving Bitcoin allocations broadly intact. The bank notes that positions in precious‑metal futures have “significantly declined since the beginning of the year,” with trend‑following funds flipping from “overbought” to “below neutral,” which has “exacerbated their downward pressure” as ETF outflows accelerated. Bitcoin, by comparison, has moved out of an “oversold” momentum regime, and selling pressure has eased as ETF demand stabilized, helping support the $68,000–$70,000 trading band.

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Liquidity indicators in JPMorgan’s framework now show market breadth in gold slipping below that of Bitcoin, while silver liquidity has weakened even further, a reversal of the typical hierarchy in traditional macro stress episodes. The bank argues that this shift “highlights Bitcoin’s gradually emerging performance characteristics that differ from traditional safe‑haven assets in the current macro and geopolitical environment,” with deeper ETF markets and institutional participation helping compress volatility relative to earlier cycles.

XRP’s ETF complex, though far smaller in absolute terms, appears to be tracking a similar institutionalization arc. By mid‑March, total net assets across XRP ETFs sat just under $1 billion, representing roughly 1.16% of the token’s market capitalization, while some estimates suggest custodians are removing close to 1% of circulating supply from exchanges each month to back new creations. An earlier crypto.news story on XRP ETFs noted that 13 straight days of inflows pulled nearly $900 million into the products within weeks of launch, underscoring how quickly regulated wrappers can tighten free‑float supply once they catch on with allocators.

For JPMorgan, the ETF flow divergence sits atop a macro mix that still looks hostile to precious metals. The bank points to rising real yields and a firmer dollar as key reasons why gold and silver have struggled to hold recent highs, even as geopolitical risk flared. CoinMarketCap data cited in the note show gold correcting from a record peak while SPDR Gold Shares shed about 2.7% of its assets over the crisis window, against positive net inflows for BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust of roughly 1.5% of AUM. In aggregate, gold ETFs have lost nearly $11 billion over three weeks, JPMorgan estimates, with silver funds recording “significant” redemptions as well.

Bitcoin’s ability to stabilize after an initial risk‑off impulse, and to keep pulling capital into ETFs, has led JPMorgan to reiterate its long‑term price target of $266,000, derived from a volatility‑adjusted comparison to gold’s market structure. While XRP lacks that kind of formal target, the resilience of its ETF flows relative to price has drawn similar interpretations from market participants who see regulated products as a bridge for institutional money. In previous crypto.news coverage, analysts noted that XRP’s ETF trajectory and the post‑SEC‑case regulatory clarity could help the token close its underperformance gap versus peers if macro headwinds ease and capital rotates back into higher‑beta assets.

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Amid ETF outflows from gold and silver, deteriorating liquidity in those markets, and continued institutional deleveraging, JPMorgan’s takeaway is blunt: Bitcoin is holding up better than traditional safe havens, and regulated crypto wrappers are no longer a sideshow. For XRP, the early data suggest that even in a choppy tape, a committed ETF bid can quietly rewire the supply‑demand balance — and position the token as one of the key beneficiaries if risk appetite returns.

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XRP Risks 50% Crash as Goldman Sachs ETF Exposure Fails to Lift Price

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XRP Risks 50% Crash as Goldman Sachs ETF Exposure Fails to Lift Price

XRP (XRP) traded at $1.37 after a 3.5% decline in the last 24 hours, shrugging off Goldman Sachs’ disclosure of exposure to spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

While this highlights long-term institutional confidence, it comes amid fragile risk sentiment and a typical breakdown from a bearish setup.

Key takeaways:

  • Goldman Sachs disclosed $152.17 million in spot XRP ETF holdings across four funds, making it the largest institutional holder in this segment.

  • XRP maintains its bear pennant breakdown setup targeting $0.72.

Goldman Sachs discloses $152 million exposure to XRP ETFs

Goldman Sachs has emerged as the largest disclosed institutional holder of US spot XRP ETFs, revealing a $152 million position in its Q4 2025 13F filing with the SEC. 

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Related: XRP treasury Evernorth files with SEC to list shares on Nasdaq

The $3.5 trillion asset manager has spread its exposure across four funds: $39.8 million in Bitwise XRP ETF, $38.5 million in Franklin XRP Trust, $38 million in Grayscale XRP ETF, and $35.9 million in 21Shares XRP ETF. 

Goldman isn’t alone. Its allocation accounts for roughly 73% of the about $211 million held by the top 30 institutional investors in XRP ETFs, according to Bloomberg Senior ETF analyst James  Seyffart.

Top 30 institutional spot XRP investors. Source: X/James/Seyffart

While this institutional move highlights long-term confidence, XRP price remains 25% below its yearly open around $1.84, driven by slowing ETF inflows and macro headwinds.

Cumulative net inflows into US-based XRP ETFs crossed the $1 billion mark within the first few months of trading, peaking at $1.28 billion on Jan. 16. The pace has since cooled to $1.21 billion today.

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Total assets under management peaked around $1.65 billion in early January but have dropped to roughly $995 billion, dragged down by XRP’s price decline and a stretch of net outflows, according to data from SoSoValue.

XRP ETFs recorded a total of $56.5 million in net outflows between March 3 and March 16. Since then, the daily inflows have been muted below $5 million. 

Spot XRP ETF flows chart. Source: SoSoValue

XRP bear pennant breakdown underway

XRP price broke down from its prevailing bear pennant when it dropped below the lower trend line of the pattern at $1.40 on Thursday. The price could retest the lower trend line as new resistance, a move that could confirm the breakdown.

XRP/USD weekly chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bull pennants form when price consolidates inside a triangle following a steep decline. Once the price breaks below that triangle, it triggers another massive downward move.

For XRP, the measured target of the bear pennant is $0.72, roughly 48% below the current price. 

As Cointelegraph reported, a break below $1.27 would suggest that the bears are still in control, fueling XRP/USD drop toward $1.

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Declining XRP volatility hints at “sharp” price move next

XRP’s volatility metrics are warning of an imminent massive price move.

The 30-day Realized Volatility (RV 30D) has dropped to around 0.5266, marking the lowest level for 2026. 

Meanwhile, the Volatility Z-Score is at -0.9048, “reflecting a clear decline in volatility compared to the historical average,” CryptoQuant analyst Arab Chain said in a recent Quicktake note, adding:

“This type of volatility contraction is commonly referred to as volatility compression, a phase that often precedes a sharp price movement in either direction.”

XRP realized volatility on Binance