Unchained IRA (Delegated Pilot)

Join over 8,000 clients securing over 99,000 bitcoin with Unchained vaults

Tax-advantaged bitcoin savings

Combine the inflation resistance of bitcoin with the tax advantages of an IRA. Both Traditional and Roth IRAs are available so that you can choose the best setup to meet your saving goals.

Download the definitive bitcoin IRA handbook

Delegated custody with no single points of failure

Don’t want to hold keys? No worries. Delegate key control to three best-in-class key agents. By working with multiple trusted institutions, you can know your bitcoin remains accessible and secure even if one becomes unavailable.

All-in-one bitcoin IRA solution

We help you set up your new IRA, fund it with a rollover or contribution, set up your vault, and purchase bitcoin. We’re with you every step of the way.

Unchained IRA, the simple way

Bitcoin only

Your retirement account is not a casino. Bitcoin only means you can save for retirement without the unnecessary volatility and security risks of other coins.

Easy funding options

Roll over some or all of your old 401(k) or IRA account funds, or make an in-kind transfer from another bitcoin IRA. Then, make your annual contributions as normal.

Traditional and Roth IRAs

We support both Traditional and Roth IRAs, so you can hold your bitcoin with tax strategy fully catered to your retirement needs.

Upgrade to key control

When you’re ready, you can seamlessly upgrade your delegated bitcoin IRA to one where you control one or more keys.

Transparent fees

No setup fee. Pay a flat annual account fee starting in the second year, plus a small quarterly percentage.

ANNUAL

$250

IRA account fee

Ongoing fees per IRA account, starting year two.

QUARTERLY

0.30%

Additional custody fee (control no keys)

Minimum $500, maximum $5,000.

0.15%

Additional custody fee (control one key)

Minimum $250, maximum $5,000.

TRADING

Less than $100,000.01 - 1.50%
Less than $1,000,000.01 - 1.25%
Less than $5,000,000.01 - 1.00%
$5,000,000.01 or greater - Custom

Bitcoin conversion fee

Applies to each U.S. dollar transfer, rollover, and contribution.

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

$750

Concierge Onboarding (optional)

1-to-1 guidance to get you started with a multisig vault.

Available in US only. $2,000 minimum for each USD rollover or annual contribution. You are not required to make a rollover or contribution in any given year.

get started

Learn about bitcoin IRAs

Our retirement and inheritance team host webinars to explain the basics of how bitcoin IRAs work and cover your questions. If you can’t make the next session, don’t worry, we have replays available on demand!

Webinar

An intro to bitcoin IRAs

watch replay

Frequently-asked questions

How long does the process take?

If you’re motivated to go through the IRA onboarding as quickly as possible, it typically takes two weeks from the point of registration for bitcoin to land in your IRA vault. That timeline is contingent, however, on prompt responses from yourself and your current custodian processing your transfer request in a timely manner.

How does the IRA setup and funding process work?

The most common way to fund an Unchained IRA is by transferring tax-advantaged funds from an existing traditional retirement account, such as another IRA or a 401k from a former employer. You can also fund your Unchained IRA through an annual contribution in USD.

Watch a video explaining how funding works

Can I send bitcoin that I currently own to my IRA vault?

Unfortunately, you cannot make bitcoin contributions to an IRA, as per IRS guidelines. The Unchained IRA must be funded in USD.

The only exception to that rule is if you already have a bitcoin IRA with another provider, and would like to transfer that IRA bitcoin into an Unchained IRA. In this scenario, it is possible to process an “in-kind transfer” into your Unchained IRA, as long as your current provider supports bitcoin withdrawals.

How is the IRA bitcoin purchased and at what price?

Any USD rollover, transfer, or annual contribution sent to your Unchained IRA is converted into bitcoin through our trading desk. Once the funds have settled at Fortis Bank (our financial services partner), Fortis will convert your tax-advantaged USD into BTC through the Unchained trading desk the following business day, and that bitcoin will be subsequently deposited into your IRA vault. The USD is converted into BTC at prevailing market rates, and Unchained charges a fee in line with our trading desk fees.

Following the purchase, you will receive a trade summary from our team, and the bitcoin will be deposited into your IRA vault within two business days.

View IRA fees

Can I pay the fees using my retirement funds?

Only the trading desk fee for bitcoin conversion is paid with funds from your retirement account. The other fees must be covered separately. Below is a fee breakdown for the Unchained IRA:

View IRA fees

Is the Unchained IRA a checkbook IRA?

No, the Unchained IRA is not a checkbook IRA. It is a standard IRA account (we support Traditional, Roth, SEP, and Inherited IRAs) that is set up through Fortis Bank, our IRA financial services partner.

Unlike other bitcoin IRA providers, we have intentionally avoided using a checkbook IRA model due to the recent ruling in the McNulty case, which called into question the tax advantages of checkbook IRAs.

Learn more through our webinar on the McNulty case

If I set up multiple bitcoin IRAs do I need to pay multiple fees?

Each Unchained IRA you set up will require a separate account fee.

Concierge Onboarding fees only need to be paid once—we’ll guide you through setting up multiple vaults, and two hardware wallets can be used to secure as many vaults as you need.

Secure your retirement bitcoin without securing keys