Sales & Marketing | 09.15.26

Bitcoin Gains Ground in Retirement Market With Equitable Annuity Option

by: Noah Lopez

Equitable has introduced what it says is the first bitcoin-linked investment option within a registered index-linked annuity (RILA), giving retirement investors direct exposure to the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) while providing downside protection. Allocations are generally limited to 25% of a contract, and investors can choose buffers of 10%, 15%, 20% or 40% to absorb losses before participating in further declines. In exchange, gains are subject to a performance cap. The launch reflects growing interest in cryptocurrency among financial advisors and retirement investors, with 32% of advisors reporting crypto allocations for clients in 2025. Equitable says the product is designed to balance client demand for bitcoin exposure with advisors’ risk-management responsibilities. RILA sales reached nearly $80 billion in 2025 and are projected to surpass $85 billion in 2026.

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