News & Analysis as of

Department of Labor (DOL) Digital Assets Cryptocurrency

Polsinelli

DOL Rescinds 2022 Guidance Concerning Cryptocurrency Investments in 401(k) Plans

Polsinelli on

On May 28, 2025, the Department of Labor (DOL) rescinded its 2022 guidance that cautioned retirement plan fiduciaries to exercise “extreme care” in permitting cryptocurrency and other digital asset investments in retirement...more

Mayer Brown

A Return to Investment Neutrality? DOL Rescinds Guidance Discouraging Plan Fiduciaries from Considering Cryptocurrencies

Mayer Brown on

On May 28, 2025, the US Department of Labor (the “Labor Department”) issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01 (the “2025 Release”), memorializing the Labor Department’s decision to rescind Compliance Release No....more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

U.S. Department of Labor Withdraws 2022 Crypto Guidance—What It Means for 401(k) Plan Fiduciaries

Crypto may be back on the table for 401(k) plans, but fiduciary duties remain as demanding as ever. On May 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL) issued Compliance Assistance...more

K&L Gates LLP

United States: Department of Labor ESG and Cryptocurrency-Related Matters

K&L Gates LLP on

The Department of Labor will engage in new rulemaking to replace Biden era regulations labeled “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights” that allowed plan fiduciaries may consider...more

Seward & Kissel LLP

401(k) Plan Investments in Digital Assets

Seward & Kissel LLP on

The Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01 (the “Release”), reversing previous guidance that cautioned plan fiduciaries offering investments in digital assets in...more

A&O Shearman

Crypto in and ESG out—DOL changes to 401(k) plan governance

A&O Shearman on

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced two significant changes to 401(k) plan investments, signaling an increase in latitude for fiduciaries who wish to make available cryptocurrency investments in their plans...more

Paul Hastings LLP

CLARITY Act Unveiled, SEC Issues Staking Guidance and 401(k) Crypto Ban Reversed

Paul Hastings LLP on

This week’s tracker covers several significant developments in crypto policy. Lawmakers released a new draft of the CLARITY Act, a market structure bill that would expand the CFTC’s role and clarify how digital assets are...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Cryptocurrency in 401(k): A Balanced Approach Returns

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

On May 28, 2025, the DOL released Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01. The 2025 CAR rescinds the DOL’s previous Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (2022 CAR), issued in 2022, which indicated an unfavorable DOL...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

DOL Rescinds 2022 Guidance Cautioning Against 401(k) Plan Investments in Cryptocurrencies

On May 28, 2025, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01 which rescinds the DOL’s prior Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-1 which had warned 401(k) plan fiduciaries against adding...more

Kilpatrick

Trump Admin. Rolls Back Biden-Era Rules on 401(k) Plan Investments: Crypto and ESG

Kilpatrick on

The Trump administration has rescinded (or signaled that it will replace) current guidance that was issued by the Biden administration’s DOL regarding (1) retirement plan investments in cryptocurrencies (and other digital...more

Woods Rogers

ESBA No Longer Discourages Crypto Investments in 401(k) Plans

Woods Rogers on

Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Rescinds Prior Guidance Limiting 401(k) Plan Investments in Cryptocurrencies Since March of 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) operated under the guidance of the Compliance...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Advisors aren’t sold on Bitcoin

On whether to recommend Bitcoin and other digital assets for clients, financial advisers are wary about their fiduciary duty to clients, according to a CoinShares survey....more

Kerr Russell

A Fair Warning: 401(k) Plan Sponsors May be Hard-Pressed to Defend Addition of Cryptocurrency Investment Option

Kerr Russell on

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published guidance earlier this year warning fiduciaries who administer retirement plans to “exercise extreme care” when considering whether to include cryptocurrency as a plan investment...more

Harris Beach Murtha PLLC

Crypto Compensation? Bitcoin Bonus? New York State Employers Must Weigh Requests Carefully

If your staff member wants his or her paycheck in cryptocurrency, should you – as an employer keeping up with the times — accommodate the request? You don’t have to work in Silicon Valley or play for the NFL to field this...more

Verrill

Department of Labor Guidance and Federal Initiatives Counsel a Wait-and-See Approach for 401(k) Plan Fiduciaries Interested in...

Verrill on

On March 10, 2022, the Department of Labor published Compliance Assistance Release 2022-01, 401(k) Plan Investments in “Cryptocurrencies”. The Release strongly discourages the addition of cryptocurrency (and other digital...more

Lathrop GPM

Cryptocurrency as a 401(K) Plan Investment Option

Lathrop GPM on

Fidelity Investments recently announced it is making a Bitcoin account available as an investment option for 401(k) plans, fueling a debate about cryptocurrencies and fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA. In what might...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Crypto, SDBAs, and Your 401(k) Plan: What Now?

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

Just over a month ago, we wrote about the Department of Labor’s guidance on cryptocurrency as a 401(k) investment option, and the landscape has already shifted multiple times....more

Goodwin

Cryptocurrencies As Investment Options In 401(k) Plans

Goodwin on

On March 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a Compliance Assistance Release (the “Release”) addressing its views on the availability of cryptocurrencies on 401(k) investment platforms. This guidance comes...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Material Investment Management Developments and Template Annual Compliance Checklists for Registered Investment Advisers, Exempt...

Summaries of recent legislative and regulatory developments with respect to: •SEC’s 2022 Examination Priorities • Proposed Amendments to Form PF Requirements- •Proposed New Rules Applicable to Private Fund Advisers and...more

Harris Beach Murtha PLLC

DOL Raises “Serious Concerns” About 401(k) Plan Investments in Cryptocurrencies

On March 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (the “Release”, available here) which cautions ERISA plan fiduciaries to exercise “extreme care” before they consider...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

DOL Warns Sponsors against Permitting Cryptocurrency-Related Investments on 401(k) Plan Investment Menus

The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) last month issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-1 - 401(k) Plan Investments in “Cryptocurrencies” (the “Release”) in which it strongly cautions ERISA plan fiduciaries to use...more

Foodman CPAs & Advisors

U.S. Department Of Labor Has “Serious Concerns” Over 401(K) Plan’s Investments In Cryptocurrencies

The U.S. Department of Labor cautions plan fiduciaries to exercise extreme care before they consider adding a cryptocurrency option to a 401(k) plan’s investment menu for plan participants....more

Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

Benefits Monthly Minute - March 2022

In the March Monthly Minute, we review IRS proposed regulations implementing the SECURE Act, DOL guidance on cryptocurrency investments, and the extended National Emergency “Outbreak Period” guidance. Crypto-Curious vs....more

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

Fiduciaries versus FOMO: Department of Labor Releases 401(k) Cryptocurrency Guidance

Regulators may be nervous about workers staking their retirements on crypto. The United States Department Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (the “DOL”) recently issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01...more

King & Spalding

DOL Expresses Extreme Skepticism About Allowing 401(k) Plan Participants to Invest in Cryptocurrency

King & Spalding on

On March 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (the “Release”) regarding 401(k) plan participant-directed investments in cryptocurrencies. The Release “cautions...more

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