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Coin IRA is not a precious metals company. It is a cryptocurrency IRA provider, one of the first in the United States, launched in April 2017. If you are specifically researching gold or silver IRAs, this is a different product entirely. If you are researching crypto IRAs, or if you are considering crypto as one layer of a broader alternative retirement allocation alongside physical metals, Coin IRA is worth understanding in detail.
The company was founded by Trevor Gerszt, who also founded Goldco. Coin IRA operates as a sister company to Goldco rather than a subsidiary, with its own leadership, operations, and regulatory standing. The current CEO is Brenda Whitman, who took the role in January 2021 after serving as Goldco’s CEO. That background matters: Coin IRA inherited a compliance-oriented operational culture from its inception, which shows up in its BBB accreditation record and its choice of Equity Trust as custodian. The fees are low by crypto IRA standards. The security infrastructure uses Ledger Enterprise cold storage. Customer service runs 24 hours a day. Those are real competitive advantages. The cryptocurrency itself carries the risk profile it has always carried: high volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and potential total loss.
Our #1 Pick for 2026: Noble Gold Investments
Many retirement investors hold both crypto and physical gold as separate portfolio layers. If you’re also considering a precious metals IRA alongside a crypto IRA, Noble Gold Investments is our top recommendation for 2026. They offer transparent fees, named custodians and storage, and a free 2026 Gold IRA guide — no pressure, no ambiguity.
Quick Company Snapshot
| Company | Coin IRA (coinira.com) |
| Founded | April 2017 |
| Founder | Trevor Gerszt (also founder/CEO of Goldco) |
| CEO | Brenda Whitman (CEO & co-owner since January 2021) |
| Relationship to Goldco | Sister company (not a subsidiary) |
| Headquarters | 21215 Burbank Blvd Suite 600, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 |
| Phone | 888-998-COIN (888-998-2646) |
| info@coinira.com | |
| Asset Type | Cryptocurrency (not precious metals) |
| Custodian | Equity Trust Company (~$34B AUC, 45+ years) |
| Storage | Ledger Enterprise cold storage; keys held by Equity Trust |
| IRA Types | Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, Inherited |
| Transaction Fees | 1.25% to buy / 1.00% to sell |
| Website | www.coinira.com |
Coin IRA at a Glance
When it comes to crypto IRA offerings for U.S. retail traders, Coin IRA is one of the oldest names in the game. After eight years of development, Coin IRA’s core product has aged better than many of its contemporaries: an IRS-approved custodian named Equity Trust, institutional-level cold storage via Ledger Enterprise, a fee cap of 1.25% per transaction with no recurring fees, and 24/7 live chat support. All in all, it’s not a bad set of features for a crypto IRA company.
As far as the coin selection goes, there are around 20 different assets listed on Coin IRA’s platform. It is fewer than, say, Bitcoin IRA’s offering (more than 80 coins/tokens total) and even less than iTrustCapital’s (about 60). However, it does include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other highest-liquidity cryptocurrencies. Most retirement investors who want crypto exposure without a large portfolio of obscure assets should be fine with this list. There are other, better options out there for those looking for greater coin diversification.
And as for the fee scheme: Coin IRA offers a rather peculiar one with a sell fee being lower (1.00%) than a purchase one (1.25%). The difference matters when you think of using this retirement vehicle to hold cryptocurrency purchases. It is not a hidden fee, but it is worth factoring into your calculation of total round-trip cost.
Pros & Cons
Company Background
Trevor Gerszt founded the crypto IRA platform known as Coin IRA in April 2017 because of the growing interest in cryptocurrencies within IRAs. Trevor Gerszt had established Goldco as a leading precious metals IRA firm. This platform was created as a stand-alone sister company rather than as a product extension under its sister firm Goldco.
Brenda Whitman became COO when Coin IRA was established and assumed the CEO position in January 2021. She is also one of the co-owners of the company. Brenda Whitman had held the position of CEO in Goldco for almost six years before joining Coin IRA and spent more than ten years working with Capital Gold Group where she held positions including Vice President, Director of IRA Services and Senior Controller. Alternative asset IRAs have been her specialization over time which explains the emphasis on custodian partnerships and security by Coin IRA.
BBB accredited Coin IRA in December 2017 less than eight months after the platform was started. Coin IRA has maintained its accreditation and A+ rating ever since. Its headquarters are located in Woodland Hills, California.
Management Team
CEO & Co-owner — Brenda Whitman, RFC
Brenda Whitman has led Coin IRA since January 2021 and holds an RFC (Registered Financial Consultant) designation. Her career spans over 20 years in alternative asset investing: Director of IRA Services and Senior Controller at Capital Gold Group, then VP there, then CEO of Goldco, then COO and then CEO of Coin IRA. She is one of the more credentialed executives in the crypto IRA sector.
Custodian and Security
Equity Trust Company
Equity Trust Company serves as the IRS-approved custodian of all Coin IRA accounts. Equity Trust holds approximately $34 billion in assets under custody and has offered custody services for alternative investments since 1974. They have custody and control over both cash and digital assets in your account. The cash portion is FDIC insured. Equity Trust utilizes Ledger Enterprise technology to store digital assets.
Ledger Enterprise Cold Storage
The digital assets will be held in cold storage using Ledger Enterprise technology, which is the industry standard for institutional cryptocurrency custody as per Coin IRA and Equity Trust. Cold storage ensures that crypto assets stay offline and inaccessible to possible cyber-attacks. Equity Trust has full control over the cryptographic keys. Coin IRA will not hold any keys. Ledger will not hold any keys. The assets are not staked, lent, or shown on the balance sheet of any organization. The assets belong to the account owner.
Crime insurance and vault risk insurance are available for digital assets. However, it is not FDIC insurance and will not protect you from any drop in the value of your assets. For a broader explanation of how self-directed IRAs handle alternative asset custody, see our self-directed IRA guide.
Coin IRA Account Details
Noble Gold Is Our #1 for 2026
Coin IRA covers the digital asset side of alternative retirement investing. For investors who want physical gold and silver as a separate IRA alongside their crypto exposure, Noble Gold Investments provides the clearest, most guided experience in the precious metals IRA category. Their free guide is a good 10-minute read before you decide how to split your allocation.
Who Coin IRA Is Best Suited For
Worth a Closer Look If You Are:
- A retirement investor who wants exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other established cryptocurrencies inside a tax-advantaged IRA
- Someone who wants a crypto IRA with no recurring fees and low transaction costs
- An investor who wants 24/7 customer support rather than standard business hours coverage
- Someone rolling over an existing IRA or 401(k) and wanting part of that balance in crypto
- An investor new to cryptocurrency who wants a structured, custodian-backed setup rather than a self-managed exchange account
Consider Alternatives If You Are:
- Looking for a wider selection of 40+ or 80+ cryptocurrencies — Bitcoin IRA or iTrustCapital offer more tokens
- A New York resident wanting a direct purchase account (currently not available)
- An investor starting with less than $5,000
- Someone who wants a mobile app rather than a browser-based platform
- An investor who has not yet decided whether crypto belongs in a retirement portfolio — crypto’s volatility and risk profile are worth understanding before opening any IRA in this category
For investors considering physical gold or silver alongside or instead of crypto, our precious metals IRA reviews page covers the full field. Our article on inflation hedges also compares how different asset classes perform in inflationary periods.
A Note on Cryptocurrency Risk
This is not a standard disclaimer statement. Cryptocurrencies represent some of the most volatile investments open to individual investors. Bitcoin has fallen by over 80% at times before from peak-to-trough during market cycles. Ethereum has seen similar drawdowns. These have all occurred within the span of just one year’s time. The volatility of investments held in a retirement plan means that these will impact funds that you will use for retirement in 5, 10, or even 25 years.
This does not make cryptocurrencies the wrong type of investments in an individual retirement arrangement. This is because position sizing becomes very important when investing with volatility in mind. The investor who chooses to allocate 5% of his IRA to Bitcoin because he sees value in a disinflationary currency with huge upside potential will be taking a different risk to another investor allocating 50% of her IRA to the same investment. Know how much percent of your IRA you want to dedicate to cryptocurrency investments before creating a Coin IRA account.
For a broader look at how alternative assets fit into a retirement plan, our articles on inflation risk and the role of commodities in portfolio allocation are worth reading before committing capital.
With Noble Gold for Precious Metals in 2026
Coin IRA is a credible option for cryptocurrency IRA investors. If physical gold and silver also belong in your retirement plan, Noble Gold Investments is where we recommend starting for that side of the portfolio. Request their free guide before speaking with any rep.
Final Verdict
Coin IRA is a legitimate, well-run cryptocurrency IRA provider with real operational depth behind it. Eight years in business, BBB accreditation since its founding year, Equity Trust as custodian, Ledger Enterprise for storage, and a fee model with no recurring charges and transaction fees on the low end of the category. Brenda Whitman’s background running both Goldco and Coin IRA at CEO level gives the company an executive with genuine IRA administration experience, which is rarer in crypto than in precious metals.
The coin selection is the real limit. Around 20 cryptocurrencies is sufficient for investors who want Bitcoin and Ethereum exposure and are not chasing smaller tokens. For anyone who wants a wide token menu, Coin IRA is the wrong platform. The $5,000 minimum also screens out smaller accounts.
The bigger question is not whether Coin IRA is a good company. It is. The question is whether holding cryptocurrency in a retirement account fits your situation. Crypto IRAs carry the same volatility as crypto itself, inside an account designed for long-term stability. That is worth thinking through carefully before you roll over retirement savings into digital assets. If the answer is yes, Coin IRA is a credible and fairly priced way to do it.
Coin IRA is a cryptocurrency IRA company. As there are companies that assist clientele in setting up Precious Metals IRAs, likewise, companies such as Coin IRA help customers establish self-directed IRAs that hold cryptocurrency. Coin IRA has a preferred relationship with Equity Trust. Pertaining to storage, the company states the following,”Coin IRA sets the industry standard with the world’s most secure Cryptocurrency IRA”. There is even a free investing guide about cryptocurrency. Some of the cryptocurrencies that can be held include Bitcoin, Chainlink, Ethereum, Icon, Tezos, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, ZCash, Bitcoin SV, Dogecoin, EOS, Stellar Lumens, Basic Attention Token. Coin IRA was founded in 2017 by Trevor Gerszt.
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Mohammed Saqib is a finance professional and CFA Level II Candidate with a Master of Finance from Wilfrid Laurier University. He specializes in financial content covering equities, alternative assets, precious metals, and capital markets.
