iTrustCapital Review

iTrustCapital lets you invest in cryptocurrencies and precious metals through a self-directed IRA. Is it right for your retirement?

	View Asset Selection View Cryptocurrency Selection
	Overall Score	4.0
	Cryptocurrency Trading	4.5
	Commissions and Fees	4.5
	Ease of Use	5.0
	Research	2.0
	Safety	4.0

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

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Pros and Cons

• Tax-free or tax-deferred trading
• Low trading fees
• No monthly fees

• Limited research tools

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Bottom Line

Good IRA provider for tax-advantaged access to crypto and gold & silver

Want alternative investments in your IRA? The process isn't so simple.

That's where iTrustCapital comes in.

iTrustCapital lets you buy and sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as gold and silver, through a self-directed IRA.

Find out if iTrustCapital is a safe option and how it compares to Bitcoin IRA and Coinbase in this review.

What is iTrustCapital?

iTrustCapital is a self-directed IRA provider headquartered in Irvine, California, founded in 2018. The company is currently led by CEO Kevin Maloney.

With iTrustCapital, investors can buy and sell alternative assets like cryptocurrencies, gold, and silver, 24 hours a day, with all the tax advantages of retirement investing.

In addition to retirement investing, iTrustCapital now offers a Premium Custody Account (PCA), a non-retirement, taxable account that lets users buy and sell cryptocurrencies outside of their IRA within the same secure custody system.

iTrustCapital is best suited for investors who want to add major cryptocurrencies and precious metals to their portfolios, whether for long-term retirement growth or non-retirement trading through the PCA.

How Does iTrustCapital Work?

iTrustCapital's business model is fairly simple. They make it possible for users to add non-traditional investments (cryptocurrencies and precious metals) to their IRAs.

Just like other IRAs, iTrustCapital's crypto IRAs offer tax benefits. Depending on whether you choose a Traditional or Roth IRA, your account will be either tax-deferred or tax-free.

Traditional IRAs are funded with pre-tax dollars and taxed at the time of withdrawal. Roth IRAs are funded with post-tax dollars, but are tax-free to withdraw from. Which is better depends on whether taxes are higher or lower at the time of retirement, which, unfortunately, there's no way to predict.

You can fund your account by either transferring an existing IRA, rolling over an existing employer plan, or funding an entirely new IRA account.

Once your account is funded, you can use iTrustCapital's platform to buy and sell the assets you want. The trading platform is live and available 24/7.

iTrustCapital also offers a Premium Custody Account (PCA), a non-retirement, taxable account for investing in cryptocurrencies and precious metals with institutional-grade security. Unlike an IRA, it has no contribution limits but does not offer tax advantages.

They display all available assets in an easy-to-read list and provide pricing info for each. Buying or selling an asset is as easy as clicking a button: "Buy" or "Sell".

They have straightforward trading fees at 1% per transaction. They require $1,000 minimum to begin, plus $500 in a subsequent deposit.

iTrustCapital is only available to citizens of the United States.

What Cryptos are on iTrustCapital?

iTrustCapital supports more than 85 cryptocurrencies within its tax-advantaged IRAs and Premium Custody Accounts. The platform continues to expand its lineup, giving investors access to both established and emerging digital assets.

Supported cryptocurrencies include:

• Bitcoin
  
• XRP
  
• Solana
  
• Sui
  
• Ethereum
  
• Hedera
  
• Cardano
  
• Dogecoin
  
• Stellar
  
• Ondo
  
• Chainlink
  
• Curve DAO Token
  
• Bittensor
  
• Avalanche
  
• Algorand
  
• Render Network
  
• Sonic
  
• Pepe
  
• Gigachad
  
• The Graph
  
• Orca
  
• Sei
  
• NEAR Protocol
  
• VeChain
  
• Dogwifhat
  
• Echelon Prime
  
• Fetch.ai
  
• Bonk
  
• Flare
  
• Quant
  
• Internet Computer
  
• Cosmos
  
• Aave
  
• Shiba Inu
  
• Polkadot
  
• AIOZ Network
  
• Aptos
  
• Injective
  
• Gala
  
• Litecoin
  
• Official Trump
  
• Berachain
  
• Polygon Ecosystem Token
  
• MooDeng
  
• Maker
  
• Toncoin
  
• Filecoin
  
• Immutable
  
• Uniswap
  
• SushiSwap
  
• Bitcoin Cash
  
• Helium
  
• Optimism
  
• Decentraland
  
• Axelar
  
• Arbitrum
  
• The Sandbox
  
• Floki Inu
  
• Stacks
  
• Compound
  
• yearn.finance
  
• Flow
  
• EOS
  
• Internet Computer
  
• ApeCoin
  
• Axie Infinity
  
• Tezos
  
• MetisDAO
  
• Celestia
  
• Lido DAO
  
• Chiliz
  
• Jito
  
• 1inch
  
• Basic Attention Token

You can also stake Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) to earn rewards directly through your IRA or Premium Custody (non-IRA) account.

Once you purchase an eligible asset, you can easily opt into staking from your dashboard. Rewards typically begin accruing within 2 to 14 business days and are distributed when you choose to unstake.

How to Get the Best iTrustCapital Deal

With iTrustCapital, your IRA can hold more than the usual stocks and bonds. Sign up today and get their best offer while it lasts:

Most Popular

View Asset Selection

Click Here to View Cryptocurrency Selection

Fees to look out for

iTrustCapital has a fairly uncomplicated fee structure:^[1]

• Cryptocurrency: 1% per trade
• Gold: $125 over spot per ounce (buys/sells)
• Silver: $3.95 over spot per ounce for buys, $1.50 over spot per ounce for sells

• Account Minimum: $1,000

Your money goes toward the following:

• IRA setup
  
• Facilitation of transfer/rollover/contribution to fund IRA
  
• IRS/tax reporting
  
• Unlimited storage with institutional custody partners
  
• iTrustCapital platform support and maintenance

The only other fee they charge is a $75 fee to convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA or SEP IRA. Note that this would trigger a taxable event.^[2]

Pros and cons

Pros

• Easy-to-use, 24/7 trading platform
  
• Tax-free or deferred crypto investing
  
• Crypto staking available
  
• Live chat and phone customer service
  
• Relatively low fees
  
• Educational resources in their Learn Center
  
• Mobile app: Android and IOS

Cons

• Doesn't provide investment advice
  
• Limited staking options

Security Measures and User Privacy

iTrustCapital employs a variety of security measures to ensure that your assets are safe.

• iTrustCapital partners with a Qualified Custodian, Fortis Bank, to safely store client assets.
  
• Gold and Silver are held at the Royal Canadian Mint and traded on VaultChain, a secure blockchain-distributed ledger.
  
• Uses two-factor authentication (2FA) using one-time passwords sent by SMS, voice-based 2FA, or by Authy App Token (Apple, Google Play).
  
• The Premium Custody Account (PCA) uses a closed-loop system, which means you can only withdraw funds in USD to your verified U.S. bank account. You can't transfer cryptocurrency to external wallets. This setup adds an extra layer of security by protecting your assets even if your login information is compromised.

Common Complaints

While the overwhelming majority of reviews for iTrustCapital are positive—over 90% either great or excellent—they have received some complaints. These are usually due to customer expectations over processing times.

Setting up an account and getting it funded, especially when transferring from another custodian, can take as long as 3-4 weeks, and it's important to understand that going in. Fortunately, iTrustCapital responds to public reviews, so if you have an issue, you'll likely be heard.

How to Get Started on iTrustCapital

Creating an account with iTrustCapital is fairly straightforward.

1. Create an account on their website, providing name, password, and phone number.

2. Confirm your email.

3. From there, you'll start your application, providing more in-depth personal information, like DOB and Social Security number.

4. Choose a type of account (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA) and funding method (transfer, rollover, cash contribution).

5. Identify a beneficiary.

6. Link a debit or credit card.

7. Wait for your application to be processed; you'll receive an email to DocuSign your application.

If you want to buy, sell, or store cryptocurrencies outside of a retirement account, you can open a Premium Custody Account (PCA). It follows a similar setup process to an IRA and includes enhanced security features.

For a full step-by-step walkthrough from iTrustCapital, visit their site here.

How to Fund Your Account

There are three ways for users to fund their accounts at iTrustCapital.

• Employer Plans: Investor retirement plans can be rolled over in the case of a job change. The transfer should be completed in 3 to 4 weeks.

• Contributions: Investors can choose to contribute regularly based on yearly guidelines. These transfers should take a week to complete.

• Transfer Existing IRA: Investors can transfer existing IRAs. (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Simple, Inherited). These transfers have a waiting period of roughly 1-2 weeks.

For investors opening a Premium Custody Account (PCA) to buy, sell, or hold cryptocurrencies outside of an IRA, funding can be completed through a USD deposit via ACH or bank wire, or by depositing Layer 1 Crypto assets (BTC, XRP, ETH, SOL, SUI, etc) directly into the account.

Contact Customer Service

Users can contact customer service at iTrustCapital by

• Scheduling a call on their website
  
• Starting a live chat (From your homepage, click on the green "Chat Live" button)
  
• Calling (562) 600-8399 Monday-Friday: 7AM - 5PM PT

Calls are limited to 10 minutes per client, so know what you need before calling.

There is a "Message Us" button at the top of every page on their site, including when you log in to your personal dashboard. They say that this is the best way to reach them at busier times. They typically respond to urgent requests the same day.

iTrustCapital Alternatives

There aren't a ton of options for cryptocurrency retirement investing. Below, see how iTrustCapital stands up to one direct competitor, Bitcoin IRA, and to Coinbase, a popular cryptocurrency exchange.

iTrustCapital vs Bitcoin IRA:
Bitcoin IRA is another self-directed IRA provider similar to iTrustCapital. In many respects, the two companies are quite similar.

They both allow easy investment in a limited number of cryptocurrencies and precious metals for retirement purposes, and offer comparable security features.

The main difference is fees: Bitcoin IRA charges a 0.99% to 2.99% setup fee, 0.08% monthly AUM fee, and 2% per trade, while iTrustCapital has no monthly fees and lower trading costs.

Based on the fees alone, iTrustCapital is probably the better choice.

iTrustCapital vs Coinbase:

		CoinbaseBitcoin IRABitIRARobinhoodeToro
	Visit Site	Learn More
	iTrustCapital	Coinbase
	SPECIAL OFFER View Asset Selection - Learn More	SPECIAL OFFER Earn $5 in bitcoin on your first trade on Coinbase - Learn More
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading		No
Options Trading		No
Minimum Deposit	$1,000	$2
Cryptocurrencies Supported	85+	200+
Countries Supported	U.S.	Over 100
Fiat Currencies Supported	USD	USD, GBP, EUR
Digital Wallet	Yes	Yes
Transaction Fee	Cryptocurrency: 1% per trade Gold: $125 over spot per ounce (buys/sells) Silver: $3.95 over spot per ounce for buys, $1.50 over spot per ounce for sells	Greater of Minimum Flat Fees or Variable Fees (1.49%+) by Location and Payment Method. Minimum Flat Fees: < $10: $0.99 $10.01 - $25: $1.49 $25.01 - $50: $1.99 $50.01 - $200: $2.99
Mobile App	Yes	Yes
Wire Transfer Fee	No	$10 ($25 outgoing)
Cold Storage	Yes	Yes
Two-Factor Authentication	Yes	SMS or Google Authenticator
Withdrawal Limit	None. 10% penalty under 59 1/2 years old	$50,000 / day
	Visit Site	Learn More
	View Asset Selection iTrustCapital Knowledge Center iTrustCapital Walkthrough	Earn $5 in bitcoin on your first trade on Coinbase Buy and Sell Cryptocurrency Learn Crypto, Earn Crypto
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. iTrustCapital: Pricing information from published website as of 10/23/2025. Coinbase: Pricing information from published website as of 04/13/2021.

The main advantage that iTrustCapital has over Coinbase and exchanges like it is its tax-free or tax-deferred trading and gains.

Assets like Bitcoin, when traded through a traditional exchange like Coinbase, are subject to the capital gains tax, which will impact your final earnings as an investor.

Coinbase offers a much wider range of cryptocurrencies, currently 200+, and is available internationally, while iTrustCapital is limited to U.S. citizens.

Coinbase has per-transaction fees that are much higher and more complex than iTrustCapital's flat 1%. However, when you're investing with a retirement account, you aren't able to withdraw without penalty until the age of 59 1/2.

If you're interested in investing in a few major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin with a long-term view, iTrustCapital may be right for you. If you simply want to get into the crypto market, consider an exchange like Coinbase.

FAQs

Does iTrustCapital have monthly fees?
No. iTrustCapital doesn't charge monthly maintenance, setup, or storage fees for its crypto and precious metals IRAs. The main cost is a 1% transaction fee on each crypto trade, plus a small premium over spot price when buying or selling precious metals.

How much does it cost to start iTrustCapital?
iTrustCapital has a $1,000 minimum to open an IRA account. On top of that, there's a 1% transaction fee if you're buying crypto. Each additional contribution is $500 minimum.

How do you get money out of iTrustCapital?
For IRA Accounts: These are retirement accounts, so withdrawals before age 59½ may incur penalties. To withdraw funds, submit a distribution request form. Processing typically takes 7–14 business days.

For Premium Custody Accounts (PCA): This non-retirement, taxable account has no age restrictions. Withdrawals are in USD only and sent to your verified U.S. bank account (crypto withdrawals or transfers to external wallets are not supported). Processing usually takes 3–5 business days, up to 10 in some cases.

Bottom Line: Should You Use iTrustCapital?

Ultimately, only time will tell whether investing in cryptocurrency as a way of saving for retirement turns out to be a good idea. Historical returns have been remarkable, but there is no guarantee that the market will keep trending upward until you're ready to start drawing on your savings.

However, there is no limit to the number of IRAs a person can hold (though there is an annual limit to contributions). Diversification is always considered a good idea when investing.

With the introduction of cryptocurrency staking and the Premium Custody Account (PCA), iTrustCapital has expanded its platform to offer greater flexibility for both retirement and non-retirement investors.

If you are considering adding cryptocurrency to your retirement portfolio, iTrustCapital is a good place to do it, compared with similar self-directed IRA providers.

References