Clients Are Asking About Crypto. Does It Have a Place in Retirement Portfolios?

As this digital asset is now steadily ticking up again, advisors may be fielding more client questions about how crypto fits into retirement portfolios, even as these add more volatility.

According to a July 2025 NerdWallet survey conducted online with The Harris Poll, 10% of Americans with retirement accounts say that part of their retirement accounts are invested in crypto.

The industry is taking notice of this increased client awareness. For example, Bitwise Asset Management, a global crypto asset manager with more than $11 billion in client assets, and RIA platform RFG Advisory announced Wednesday the rollout of diversified crypto model portfolios.

Ric Edelman, author and founder of the RIA Edelman Financial Engines who now leads the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals, told ThinkAdvisor that according to the council's research, 92% of advisors are getting client questions about crypto.

Many firms still prohibit these sorts of allocations, Edelman said, but advisors who are permitted to are routinely recommending allocations of 1% to 5%, depending on the client, with 10% of advisors recommending allocations of 10% or more. He said that exchange-traded funds are the overwhelming preference for both advisors and their clients, "and for all the right reasons."

"Everyone is highly familiar with ETFs," he said. "They are very low in cost and very high in liquidity, and they are very tax-efficient."

Trevor Gunter, founder and lead advisor at Four Pines Financial in Atlanta, said that crypto comes up most often with younger investors or clients who already own it and want to know whether it belongs in the bigger picture.

"Crypto can be part of a retirement conversation, but it should not be the engine of a retirement plan," he said.

Similarly to Edelman, Gunter said that if a client wants exposure, he would usually prefer a simple ETF structure over holding crypto directly, because it can reduce some of the custody and operational complexity. But, he said, the main point is sizing.

"Crypto is still a speculative asset, so for most investors I would keep it small, generally in the low single digits and rarely above 5%," he said. "A retirement plan should be built on diversified long-term assets. Crypto, at most, is a satellite holding."

Looking ahead, Edelman said that while most firms don't allocate this way yet, virtually every firm is actively engaged in due diligence.

"We believe that within two years, crypto will be a routine allocation for all long-term, diversified portfolios at every RIA and brokerage firm," he said.

Credit: Igor Stevanovic/Adobe Stock