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Senate Democrats Press SEC, Labor Over Trump Plan to Open 401(k)s to Crypto

Lawmakers filed oversight requests to scrutinize risks to retirement savers and potential conflicts tied to the president’s push.

Overview

  • Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders led a letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer calling the policy "dangerous" and warning it could jeopardize Americans’ retirement savings.
  • The senators asked whether regulators have studied retail investor risks, if the Labor Department plans to weaken fiduciary due-diligence rules, and whether any inquiry has assessed possible profits to the Trump family.
  • They cited a GAO study finding crypto lacks cash flow and is far more volatile than equities, with Bitcoin roughly four times and Solana about twelve times as volatile as the S&P 500 from 2021 to 2023.
  • The letter follows President Trump’s executive order encouraging retirement plans to embrace crypto and the Labor Department’s rescission of prior guidance that urged extreme caution on adding such options.
  • Republican backers led by Rep. French Hill defended the policy as expanding access for savers, while reports referenced by Democrats allege the Trump family saw large gains from digital-asset ventures, including the WLFI token.