A rule proposed by the US Labor Department could allow smaller cryptocurrencies, not only Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), to be offered in 401(k) retirement plans. The proposal does not exclude altcoins. Cointelegraph reported this on Nov 6, 2026, in a story by staff writer Jona Jaupi, edited by Ana Paula Pereira.
Leaving altcoins out of the exclusions does not mean they get in easily. Experts quoted in the report say smaller coins may face more challenges than Bitcoin and Ether before they appear in retirement plans. So the split is clear: the rule leaves room for altcoins, but BTC and ETH are seen as the coins with fewer obstacles.
The report summary does not say what those challenges are, which altcoins could qualify, or when the rule might be finalized. It is still a proposal, not a rule in force. Until more details are published, anyone saying which coins will make it into 401(k) plans is guessing.
For someone already holding a perpetual position on Bitget, Bybit, MEXC or OKX, the direct change today is nothing. A proposed retirement-plan rule does not change funding rates, trading fees or order-book liquidity on these exchanges. Any effect would depend on the rule being finalized and on money moving through retirement plans, and none of that has happened yet.
Source: cointelegraph — US 401(k) proposal leaves door open to altcoins, but hurdles remain