This means that you can't contribute cryptocurrency to your Roth IRA directly, but you can add it to your IRA through a purchase. Just to be clear, a Bitcoin IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account (SDIRA) that contains investments in Bitcoins. This is different from a traditional IRA that limits its investments to stocks, precious metals, or bonds. While there are many references to Bitcoin IRAs, there is no specific account backed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) designed for cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin IRAs may offer an opportunity to investors who believe in the future of cryptocurrencies, but who want to save on taxes along with their profits. I think Bitcoin's enormous upside potential is worth the risk, especially if you're only investing a small percentage of the total value of your IRA. Be sure to consider the speculative nature of Bitcoin, all the rules that govern self-directed IRAs, and the dynamic regulations surrounding digital assets. And, perhaps most importantly, consider Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a small part of your overall retirement plan, not as its entirety.
For investors nearing retirement, opening a Bitcoin IRA is probably not the most prudent option, given the volatility of cryptocurrencies. Taken together, the final fees and taxes could affect the tax advantages and profits earned by the Bitcoin IRA. However, there are custodians that allow you to store cryptocurrency in a Roth IRA, such as Bitcoin IRA, Bit IRA and iTrustCapital. Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency (sometimes called a digital or virtual currency), the oldest and most popular of the twelve varieties available for trading and investment.
Many young investors are now looking to diversify their retirement accounts by adding Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As you research the custodians of Bitcoin IRAs, remember that you'll want to make sure that the types of accounts, exchanges, and cryptocurrencies available fit your goals. Generally, a Bitcoin IRA will have a minimum monthly account fee, a retention fee, a setup fee, and fees for fund transfers and asset purchases. Therefore, a bitcoin IRA is a type of investment retirement account that includes bitcoins within its portfolio.
Overall, a Bitcoin IRA works much like a regular IRA, except that you invest your money in cryptocurrency rather than in mutual fund stocks. IRAs can own bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, since IRAs can own any property for investment purposes, whether it's publicly traded stocks, shares of private companies, or real estate.
