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Top five bitcoin IRA companies: Five things to know before Investing

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#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Bitcoin IRA Provider:

‘Regal Assets Logo from regalassets.com’

‘BitCoin IRA Logo from bitcoinirainvestment.com’

‘Retire With Choice Logo from retirewithchoice.com’

‘Trust ETC Logo from trustetc.com’

‘iTrust CapitaLogo from itrustcapital.com’

Website: Regal Assets Bitcoin IRA Choice Equity Trust iTrust Capital
HQ: Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Murray, KY West Lake, OH Irvine, OH
Fees: $250 Annual flat fee, first year waived. Trading fees on request. $240 Annually. One-time setup fee of 10-15% of initial investment. 1-5% trading fees. 1% Annual storage. $500 setup + $10 a month for private keys. $70 Annually. $50 One-time Fee. 1% trading fees.
Years in Business: 13 5 11 47 3
24hr Account Set up?
Insured?

‘Summary table by Jules Blundell’

Best Bitcoin IRA Provider Overall: Regal Assets regalassets.com
Best for Crypto Staking: Bitcoin IRA
Best for Range of Alternative Assets: Equity Trust
Best for Smartphone App: Choice & iTrust Capital

Retirement investors face a big problem right now: what to do about inflation?

The 8.5% year-on-year increase in the US Consumer Price Index for March 2022 was the biggest advance in 41 years.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

If you are stashing cash to fund your retirement, price inflation means that the real value of your cash diminishes. If you just save in cash, you are building up a pile that is constantly being eaten away.

This is why canny investors save for their retirement using other assets: stocks, ETFs, real estate, and physical precious metals like gold and silver. And now the latest kid on the block is crypto, and specifically Bitcoin.

With a market capitalization of almost $800bn, Bitcoin claims over 40% of the entire crypto sector. Bitcoin outperformed both the gold and the stock market for the third year running in 2021. Bitcoin is not subject to deflationary pressure (like cash), because the supply of Bitcoin is capped at 210m coins. And other cryptos are similarly protected.

A key risk with crypto, though, is volatility: prices go up and down rapidly. Cash is far less volatile. What’s more, the future of the entire crypto sector is uncertain: it all depends on what sovereign regulators decide. Although it is unlikely, you could find that your Bitcoin investment is worth less than you paid for it when you retire.

These are risks, however, that many retirement investors are willing to take.

“So far as retirement accounts go, right now, with bitcoin, it’s IRAs, IRAs, IRAs,” explained Onramp Invest CEO Tyrone Ross to CNBC.com in 2021.

1: How does a Bitcoin IRA work?

A Bitcoin IRA is a form of self-directed IRA (SDIRA).

If you are under 50, the IRS allows you to invest up to $6,000 in an SDIRA every year. Above the age of 50, the annual limit is $7,000. SDIRAs allow you to invest in a range of assets.

A ‘Bitcoin IRA’ is the name given to SDIRAs which allow you to invest in Bitcoin and other cryptos. Most 401k retirement accounts do not allow you to invest in crypto.

A key advantage of an SDIRA is that you will not pay income tax on any money you invest in it. And, if you opt for Roth IRA, you will not pay tax on any profits you make. (Roth IRAs do not suit all incomes).

A key requirement of any IRA is that there is a legal ‘custodian’ who oversees it. Although investors get to manage their IRA investments themselves, they need to do so through a company that offers a custodianship service (here are five top Bitcoin IRA companies reviewed).

2: What are the benefits of a Bitcoin IRA?

Reduce your tax bill right now

The money you invest in a Bitcoin IRA is taken off your taxable income for the year.

Legally avoid paying tax on crypto profits

If you have a Roth IRA, you will not pay tax when you take a ‘distribution’ (ie. sell your crypto and release it to cash). If you trade crypto outside of an IRA, you will be expected to pay capital gains tax on any profits.

Hedge against inflation

The supply of most crypto is capped. The supply of fiat currencies (ie. cash) is not capped. This means that governments can print more money, and the value of that currency is reduced. This is not a problem with crypto.

Get in on the crypto sector

If you devote a small part of your IRA allowance to a Bitcoin IRA, you can responsibly invest in a key dynamic investment class.

Manage crypto volatility

Bitcoin IRA accounts like that offered by Regal Assets, for example, encourage you to HODL your crypto (that means ‘Hold On for Dear Life). The idea of a ‘stash-and-hold’ account is to buy crypto and hold it for decades, riding out short-term volatility.

The risk remains, however, that the price of any crypto might diminish over time rather than rise; but with cash, for example, that is a certainty at times of high price inflation.

No need to set up a crypto wallet

Using a Bitcoin IRA means you can avoid the hassle of setting up a crypto wallet to trade crypto.

3: What are the benefits of investing in cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrencies could well be the biggest thing to ever happen in the history of finance.

One key idea of crypto is that nobody controls the supply of money, which means the system is fair. Crypto is also programmable money. This means the world of finance, effectively, has a new toy to play with; the possibilities are endless, as are the rewards.

When you invest in a crypto, you do not have to use that crypto as a currency. You can just treat it as an investment.

Backing crypto means backing the future of ‘DeFi’ - Decentralized Finance.

DeFi crypto already has a combined market capitalization of over $100bn.

Increasing backing by ‘TradFi’

‘TradFi’ means ‘Traditional Finance’. That means the big banks.

TradFi, like governments, has been suspicious of DeFi, not least because DeFi cuts the big banks out of transaction fees.

But TradFi is increasingly trying to get in on the crypto scene. 80% of global central banks are looking into setting up digital currencies. The US Federal Reserve is exploring the possibility of a fully-digitized US dollar. You can already get many ‘stable coin’ crypto that is pegged to the value of the US dollar.

85% of wealth managers from big investment houses polled separately across Europe said in 2021 that they planned to increase their crypto holdings.

A recent survey of US financial advisors found that crypto is becoming far more acceptable in personal finance circles too. The 2021 Trends in Investing report from the Financial Planning Association shows that 14% of personal advisors now recommend crypto to their clients, compared to just 1% in 2020.

Increasing backing by governments

National governments have historically been suspicious of crypto. They have feared that the decentralized nature of crypto meant that citizens could use crypto to avoid paying taxes. Another fear has been that fraud and cyber theft have yet to be kicked out of the crypto sector.

As a result, certain crypto exchanges have been banned from the US and China.

But, as the number of crypto swells to almost 19,000, the authorities are coming around. At the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the US state of Colorado announced that it would begin to accept crypto for tax payments. And let’s not forget that an entire country, El Salvador, made Bitcoin legal tender last year. 80% of central banks are looking into creating digital currencies, including the Federal Reserve of the US.

4: Is investing in cryptocurrency right for me?

Crypto is a high-risk/high-reward investment. Crypto is not even legal tender in the US. And the truth of it is that, if sovereign regulators decide crypto is too dangerous, they could outlaw it completely.

That is why it is vital to be clear about your own risk profile.

If you are saving for retirement, it is likely that you do not want to take too many risks: your life savings are at stake after all. But you probably do not want to miss out on the high growth potential of crypto either.

A sensible strategy, then, is to invest a small part of your SDIRA allowance into a Bitcoin IRA. Invest the rest in lower-risk assets like stocks, real estate, and even cash. And let’s not forget about gold…

Diversify with precious metals

Whereas crypto is a high-risk/high-reward investment, the precious metal gold is a low-risk/low-reward investment. Gold is considered to be a haven at times of inflation. Many investors, therefore, choose to manage risk by investing in both crypto and precious metals including gold.

Many Bitcoin IRA providers including Regal Assets allow crypto enthusiasts to also invest in precious metals using the same IRA. Or they provide a separate IRA, called a gold IRA or a silver IRA.

5: What companies can I use to run a Bitcoin IRA?

Below we take a quick look at five top providers of Bitcoin/crypto IRAs. We suggest you check out as many providers as you can before committing any funds.

We recommend California-based provider Regal Assets as a good place to start: Regal Assets has an excellent name in the IRA business and offers a simple flat annual fee as well as top security and crypto buying options. With Regal, you can also invest in physical gold and have it stored for you in an IRS-approved depository.

Best Bitcoin IRA Provider Overall: Regal Assetsregalassets.com
Best for Crypto Staking: Bitcoin IRA
Best for Range of Alternative Assets: Equity Trust
Best for Smartphone App: Choice & iTrust Capital

#1 Regal Assets - Best Bitcoin IRA Provider Overall

Homepage: www.regalassets.com

Phone: 877-205-1104

Bitcoin IRA only? Crypto, precious metals & stocks

Years in Business: 13

Smartphone app? No

A big strength of Regal Assets is that the California-based firm is an all-in-one IRA provider. That means investors can manage their crypto IRA as well as trade crypto under Regal’s one roof. The Regal IRA is overseen by reputable custodian Kingdom Trust, which is regulated by the South Dakota Division of Banking.

With the Regal IRA, investors can stash crypto, precious metals, and stocks. You can choose whichever assets you like, in whatever proportion. As Regal CEO Tyler Gallagher confirms, with Regal, it is all about choice: “clients make all the decisions themselves when it comes to digital asset selections and allocation, but do have the option of guidance by connecting with their dedicated account manager.”

Best of all, with Regal Assets, you can get your IRA set up 24/7 online. You will then be able to choose from a growing range of 25+ crypto, with high-security crypto cold storage as standard. Insurance cover is provided by Lloyds of London. The firm offers further heavyweight credentials with CEO Gallagher being a Forbes Finance Council Member.

Pros:

✅ AAA rating from the Business Consumer Alliance

✅ Flat fee structure ($250 a year)

✅ Offers 24hr IRA setup online

✅ 97k Facebook likes

✅ One of the first companies to offer Bitcoin IRAs

✅ IRA rollover specialists

Cons:

❌ Transaction fees for crypto purchase available only over phone

#2 Bitcoin IRA - Best for Crypto Staking

Homepage: www.bitcoinirainvestment.com

Phone: 877-936-7175

Bitcoin IRA only? Crypto & gold

Years in Business: 5

Smartphone app? No

Bitcoin IRA is actually the website name for a company called Alternative IRA services. This firm does not have a monopoly on Bitcoin IRAs, as the name suggests!

But Bitcoin IRA certainly has a good name in the business. Like Regal Assets, Bitcoin IRA is an official member of the Forbes Finance Council. 60+ crypto are on offer, with purchases protected by BitGo crypto security and insurance underwritten by Lloyds of London.

Unlike Regal Assets, Bitcoin IRA is a self-trade account. This allows you to trade 24/7 online via the Bitcoin IRA smartphone app. Regal Assets, on the other hand, follows the ‘stash-and-hold’ model, which means investors are encouraged to buy crypto and hold it for the long term. Self-trade gives flexibility, but perhaps too much; stash-and-hold certainly reduces the temptation to fritter your life savings away.

A standout feature of Bitcoin IRA is the Bitcoin IRA Earn scheme. If you can invest a minimum of $10,000, you can earn up to 6% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and cash that you hold in your account.

Pros:

✅ Excellent website

✅ App-based

✅ 6% Bitcoin IRA Earn scheme

✅ 60+ crypto to choose from

✅ Security by Cloudflare and BitGo

Cons:

❌ 10-15% setup fee on initial investment

#3 Choice - Best for Smartphone App

Homepage: www.retirewithchoice.com

Phone: 270-226-1000

Bitcoin IRA only? Crypto, precious metals & stocks

Years in Business: 11

Smartphone app? Yes

Choice is an app-based IRA provider. Like Bitcoin IRA, Choice offers an excellent website and self-trading via stockbrokers Interactive Brokers and crypto exchange Kraken. Over 20 crypto are available for trading, as well as stocks and gold. Custodianship of IRA accounts is covered by Kingdom Trust and cold storage for crypto is provided by Fidelity Digital Assets.

Choice is one of the few Bitcoin IRA providers offering extra returns on crypto held with it. Choice offers a daily Bitcoin game called ‘Blinko’ which gives investors a small amount of Bitcoin.

Pros:

✅ Excellent website

✅ App-based (Google Play and App Store)

✅ Very clear breakdown of assets

✅ Daily Bitcoin earning game

✅ No annual fee

Cons:

❌ Not clear about trading fees

#4 Equity Trust - Best for Range of Alternative Assets

Homepage: www.trustetc.com

Phone: 855-233-4382

Bitcoin IRA only? Crypto, precious metals, stocks, and other paper assets

Years in Business: 47

Smartphone app? No

Equity Trust is a true veteran in the field of IRAs. The firm has been in financial services for 47 years. The company provides an IRA format for every conceivable asset: crypto, stocks, precious metals, real estate, foreign exchange, commodities, and other paper assets.

Equity Trust is an out-and-out IRA custodian. That means you are dealing directly with the company that has legal oversight for your IRA. But Equity Trust is not a crypto specialist (like Regal Assets or Bitcoin IRA, for example). Investors are expected to interact with their crypto IRA via one of many providers: BlockMint, BitIRA, BitTrust IRA, Coin IRA & My Digital Money.

Pros:

✅ Financial services veteran

✅ 200,000+ users

✅ Best provider for a range of alternative assets

✅ Investopedia-confirmed good customer service

Cons:

❌ Not crypto specialists

❌ Range of crypto available depends on provider

#5 iTrust Capital - Best for Smartphone App

Homepage: www.itrustcapital.com

Phone: 866-308-7878

Bitcoin IRA only? Crypto & precious metals

Years in Business: 3

Smartphone app? Yes

iTrust Capital offers a good self-trading option for budget investors. With, iTrust Capital you can invest as little as $1,000. By contrast, to benefit from Bitcoin IRA’s Earn program, you have to invest a minimum of $10,000.

With an excellent website, iTrust is also app-based. This means you can trade crypto 24/7, as you can with Bitcoin IRA. Be careful not to fritter away your life savings! (If you are impulsive, perhaps better to opt for a firm like Regal Assets that can keep your worst instincts in check.)

Cold crypto storage is provided by Coinbase Custody and Fireblocks. Insurance cover is provided for over $300m.

Pros:

✅ App-based

✅ Excellent website

✅ 28 cryptos to trade

✅ 150,000 account holders

✅ $1000 account minimum

Cons:

❌ Not long in business

❌ Not clear about account management fees

Conclusion

A Bitcoin IRA might be just as good a post-pandemic investment as a Gold IRA. And, with many providers offering both crypto and precious metals in the same package, there are many ways of investing in both for retirement.

To find out in person how a Bitcoin/gold IRA can work for you, give Regal Assets a call at 1-877-962-1133.

REQUEST FREE KIT

Extended Summary Table

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Bitcoin IRA Provider:

‘Regal Assets Logo from regalassets.com’

‘BitCoin IRA Logo from bitcoinirainvestment.com’

‘Retire With Choice Logo from retirewithchoice.com’

‘Trust ETC Logo from trustetc.com’

‘iTrust CapitaLogo from itrustcapital.com’

Website: Regal Assets Bitcoin IRA Choice Equity Trust iTrust Capital
HQ: Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Murray, KY West Lake, OH Irvine, OH
Fees: $250 Annual flat fee, first year waived. Trading fees on request. $240 Annually. One-time setup fee of 10-15% of initial investment. 1-5% trading fees. 1% Annual storage. $500 setup + $10 a month for private keys. $70 Annually. $50 One-time Fee. 1% trading fees.
Years in Business: 13 5 11 47 3
24hr Account Set up?
Insured?
Crypto only? Crypto, precious metals & stocks Crypto & gold Crypto, precious metals & stocks Crypto, precious metals, stocks & paper assets Crypto & gold
Crypto available: 25+ 60+ 23 Depends on provider 28
Crypto security: Cold Storage Cold Storage Cold Storage Cold Storage Cold Storage
Crypto interest or rewards?
6% on staked crypto Daily Bitcoin reward game
Smartphone app?
Free Startup Kit? REQUEST FREE KIT

‘Extended summary table by Jules Blundell’

About the Author

Jules Blundell is an experienced finance writer and investor. He leverages his First Class degree from Cambridge University and his time with various London investment banks to crunch key topics for accessible and educational reading.