Why this exists
Most providers benefit from a confused buyer
Complex fee structures. Vague custody arrangements. Performance claims with no audit trail.
This checklist removes the confusion.
Take it to any provider you’re evaluating. Ask the questions. Get answers in writing.
If a provider hesitates on any of them — that hesitation is your answer.
The Checklist
The ten questions that matter
Each one was designed to surface a structural truth most providers would prefer you didn't ask about.
The most important question. And the one most rarely asked.
A self-directed platform gives you a dashboard. You make every decision. You execute every trade.
A managed service handles allocation and rebalancing on your behalf.
These are different products. They serve different investors.
The platform you sign up with is not necessarily the entity holding your crypto.
Look for a qualified custodian — a regulated institution whose only job is asset custody.
Verify it independently. Confirm assets are held in your name. In a segregated account. Not pooled with other clients.
"Insured" is not an answer. You need a dollar figure.
You also need to know what's covered: theft, cybersecurity events, custodian insolvency.
Crypto IRAs are not FDIC or SIPC insured. Coverage comes through the custodian's policy.
Ask for the full list in writing.
Setup fees. Annual maintenance. Trading fees. Spread markups. Custody fees. Performance fees. Exit fees.
Some providers bury costs in trading spreads. The rate on screen is not the rate you pay.
(2% annual)
on profits only
per transaction
That is the complete structure.
Most financial products charge the same whether you grow or lose.
That's a structural conflict of interest.
Ask whether the provider's revenue is linked to your account's performance.
Our performance fee only triggers when your account grows. If it doesn't grow, we don't earn it.
We call this the Zero-Conflict Model.
Most providers profit when you trade. We profit when you grow.
If a provider claims active management, ask how.
Manual decisions by a person? Algorithmic? Some combination?
Who has discretion. When do they act. What rules govern execution.
Animus AI runs continuous monitoring across on-chain data, trading volume, price momentum, and institutional flows.
When defined thresholds are met, the system rebalances.
Systematic. Not discretionary.
Crypto markets move fast. Drawdowns can be severe.
Ask what protocols apply in those moments. Silence on this question is itself an answer.
Some providers introduce withdrawal restrictions or lock-up periods.
Your retirement funds should remain accessible. Subject only to IRS rules.
Ask about the timeline between liquidation request and cash settling in your IRA.
If you're moving from an existing 401(k) or IRA, this should be a non-event.
Done correctly, a rollover doesn't trigger a tax event.
Ask whether the provider handles the paperwork end-to-end — or whether you're responsible for chasing your existing custodian.
In 2014, the IRS confirmed that digital assets can be held inside a self-directed IRA.
That's been settled law for over a decade. Same rules. Same tax treatment as any other IRA.
Confirm the provider works exclusively with IRS-approved custodians.
Want to go deeper?
Read the full Guide.
You've seen the questions. The BlockTrust Crypto IRA Guide is the long-form answer — written for retirement investors, not crypto traders.
The BlockTrust Crypto IRA Guide
PDF · 2026 Edition · Free
"Most marketing materials are designed to obscure.
This one is designed to inform.
If you ask us these questions and don't like our answers
— you should walk away.
That is the test. We welcome it."
— THE BLOCKTRUSTIRA TEAM
Quick reference
The essential checklist at a glance
A one-page version to take into any conversation.
| CATEGORY | QUESTION TO ASK |
|---|---|
| Service model | Managed or self-directed? |
| Custody | Who holds the assets — and are they segregated? |
| Insurance | What is the specific dollar coverage amount? |
| Fees | What is the complete fee structure in writing? |
| Alignment | Are provider fees linked to account performance? |
| Management | How are allocation decisions actually made? |
| Risk | What protocols apply during market crashes? |
| Liquidity | What is the withdrawal timeline? |
| Rollover | Does the provider handle paperwork end-to-end? |
| Compliance | Is the structure IRS-approved? |
