Can You Buy Bitcoin in a Fidelity IRA? Where a Self-Directed Cryptocurrency IRA Goes Further

Since Fidelity introduced its Crypto IRA in 2025, we’ve been fielding a new version of a familiar question: “Doesn’t my brokerage already let me do this?” It’s a fair thing to wonder, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you’re hoping to do with your retirement savings. Here’s a plain-language look at what Fidelity’s Crypto IRA actually offers, and where a Self-Directed Cryptocurrency IRA is built differently.

What Fidelity’s Crypto IRA Actually Offers

Fidelity launched its Crypto IRA in April 2025 through Fidelity Digital Assets, National Association, a national trust bank that handles custody and trading for the accounts. You can open the account as a Traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or a Rollover IRA, and use it to hold cryptocurrency directly inside a tax-advantaged retirement account.

The coin selection, at least for now, is intentionally narrow: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. That covers two of the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, plus one longer-standing coin, but nothing beyond those three.

A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Assume It Covers Everything

• Coin selection is currently limited to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, so investors interested in other established coins won’t find them in this account.
• The account is only available to U.S. citizens in eligible states, so availability can vary depending on where you live.
• As with any cryptocurrency account, holdings are not FDIC or SIPC insured, values can be highly volatile, and providers may charge setup, maintenance, or trading fees.
• It’s a crypto-only account. If you also want exposure to physical precious metals in the same retirement account, that’s a separate product entirely.

How a Self-Directed Cryptocurrency IRA Compares

A Self-Directed Cryptocurrency IRA, like the ones we help clients open at Coin IRA, is built around a different idea: give people more room to diversify inside one account. A few of the practical differences:

• More coins to choose from. Our Cryptocurrency IRAs support 17 or more digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Chainlink, Litecoin, and others, so you’re not limited to just two or three.
• Crypto and precious metals, side by side. The same account can also hold fractional gold, silver, and platinum, so you can combine digital and physical diversification without juggling separate providers.
• IRS-approved custodian and cold storage. Assets are held through Equity Trust Company, an IRS-approved self-directed IRA custodian, with cryptocurrency secured in Ledger Enterprise cold storage. Assets are never staked, lent, or leveraged.
• Account types to match your situation. We offer Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, and Inherited Cryptocurrency IRAs, along with rollovers from an employer-sponsored plan like a 401(k), 403(b), TSP, or pension, and transfers from an existing IRA.
• A person to talk it through with. Our specialists guide you through opening an account, choosing assets, and understanding secure storage. They won’t tell you what to buy or when, but they will make sure you understand your options.

Which One Makes Sense for You?

That depends entirely on your own goals, so this isn’t a case of one option being universally “better.” If you’re already a Fidelity customer and mainly want simple exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin, their Crypto IRA may be a convenient fit. If you’re looking for a wider range of coins, the ability to combine crypto with physical precious metals, or more account types to choose from, a Self-Directed Cryptocurrency IRA through Coin IRA is worth a closer look.

Either way, it’s never too late to start thinking about how cryptocurrency might fit into a long-term retirement strategy. This is a decision worth taking your time with, not rushing into.

Cryptocurrencies are speculative, involve a high degree of risk, and are not suitable for all investors. Nothing in this article is investment, tax, or legal advice. If you’d like to talk through your options with a real person, our specialists are available at (888) 998-COIN.