Recently, the U.S. financial markets have welcomed a significant transformation. According to multiple media reports, Trump has signed a landmark executive order that opens new investment avenues for the U.S. 401(k) retirement savings plan. This decision allows the total scale of the 401(k) plan, which amounts to $9 trillion, to break through traditional investment restrictions and include alternative assets such as Crypto Assets, gold, and private sale in the investment scope.

This initiative has sparked widespread discussion in the financial sector and is expected to have a profound impact on the financial markets in the United States and globally. 401(k) plans, as one of the most popular retirement savings methods in the United States, have long primarily invested in traditional financial products such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The introduction of this executive order aims to break the investment model that has existed for nearly half a century and provide a more diversified range of investment options for the retirement savings of tens of millions of American workers.

The executive order requires federal regulatory agencies to comprehensively assess and remove institutional barriers in existing regulations that hinder the inclusion of new assets in 401(k) plans. In the current low interest rate environment, the U.S. government is attempting to enhance the potential return rate of 401(k) plans by expanding the range of asset options. Notably, Crypto Assets represented by Bitcoin have performed remarkably in recent years, outperforming the Nasdaq index in five out of the last six years, and this data has become a significant factor driving policymakers to consider reforms.

The market's expectation for the easing of this policy has already begun to manifest. Some analytical institutions have pointed out that if 401(k) funds can be partially allocated to new asset classes such as Crypto Assets, it may trigger a new wave of investment enthusiasm. However, this policy also faces challenges, including how to ensure the security of newly added investment varieties, as well as how to balance risk and return.

With the gradual implementation of this policy, the U.S. retirement savings market is expected to welcome new development opportunities. At the same time, this initiative may also trigger a chain reaction in the global financial market pattern, and whether other countries will follow the U.S. approach is worth ongoing attention.