Alto, a platform that enables individuals to invest in alternative assets through retirement funds, including through their dedicated Alto CryptoIRA, released proprietary data from its platform that underscores the confidence in crypto investments as part of “a self-directed IRA and the overall growth in crypto portfolio diversification.”
In 2024, Alto customers made over “240,000 crypto trades with more than $900M in crypto assets on the platform.”
Here are the key findings from Alto’s user base of 29,000 self-directed IRA investors:
- At Alto, for those whose first investment was in Bitcoin, nearly two-thirds (62%) invested in other tokens signaling growing comfort in this asset class
- Three in four (75%) crypto investors have invested in two or more crypto assets across their lifetime at Alto
- Half (51%) of crypto investors chose an altcoin as their first investment at Alto
Eric Satz, Alto CEO and Founder said:
“This is an exciting trend, given that we estimate over 85% of Americans that are invested in crypto are not leveraging the benefits of investing through their retirement account. We want more people to be aware of the tax and long-term benefits of investing specifically through an IRA, and we are proud to be at the forefront of empowering investors with the opportunity to make strategic crypto investments that could help them build more diversified retirement portfolios.”
This growing enthusiasm in crypto investing is supported by “findings from Morningstar, which highlight that crypto investors are highly engaged, checking their investments twice as frequently as those without exposure to cryptocurrency in their portfolios.”
By leveraging a self-directed IRA, investors not only gain “tax-deferred growth and enhanced portfolio diversification but also have the ability to buy specific coins that align with their goals and interests.”
This stands in contrast to the more limited exposure “available through 401(k)s and other traditional plans, which typically offer only indirect access via crypto-related ETFs. ”
As the appetite for crypto increases, Alto will continue “to build awareness about the benefits of investing through an IRA.”
As noted in the update, Alto’s self-directed IRA platform “enables investors to diversify their retirement portfolios with alternative assets like private equity, venture capital, cryptocurrency, real estate.”
Alto acts as the IRA custodian for “over $1.7B in assets with 29,000 self-directed IRA investors and supports more than 2,000 issuers who have raised capital on the platform.”
With minimal paperwork and competitive fees, Alto simplifies access “to less-correlated, high-return investments.”
Users can establish Traditional, Roth, or SEP IRAs and “invest in private markets and cryptocurrency.”