Public, the platform built for long-term investing, today announced it has acquired the CryptoIRA business from Alto, the leading self-directed IRA platform bringing private markets to individual retirement portfolios. Public will bring the Alto CryptoIRAs into its platform in early 2026, and until then, customers will continue to trade on the Alto platform. In the following months, Alto’s technology will be integrated into the Public platform, enabling Public to offer its members the ability to trade cryptocurrencies within their IRAs.
As retail demand for crypto has grown over the past year, thanks in part to increased institutional support and regulatory tailwinds, Public has been expanding its cryptocurrency offering. Investors now have access to more coins, the ability to trade crypto through its API, and next year, customers can trade crypto in their IRAs.
Alto’s partnership with Public marks its first enterprise relationship under its new Custodial Infrastructure as a Service (CaaS) model. The collaboration highlights growing demand for the secure, scalable infrastructure Alto has developed to power the next generation of private market investment platforms. While Alto will no longer operate as a direct provider in the crypto segment, the company will continue to offer investors the ability to directly invest in other fast-growing areas of the private markets, including private equity, private credit, real estate, and infrastructure, using IRAs.
“Public is now one of the only platforms where customers can trade crypto in their IRAs, and we continue to expand on our crypto offering for our members as demand grows,” said Leif Abraham, co-CEO and co-founder of Public. “Alto’s CryptoIRA product is another way we’re offering our investors sophisticated products to build long term wealth.”
“Alto wanted the right crypto distribution partner who truly understands the unique needs of sophisticated investors in this dynamic asset class, and there’s no question Public is that partner,” said Eric Satz, CEO and Founder of Alto. “We will continue to serve as the custodian for these accounts, while our customers get a best-in-class trading experience with Public. It’s a win for our customers, a win for Alto, and a win for Public.”
A crypto IRA allows investors to trade crypto without the tax consequences that typically accompany every sale in a taxable account. As with other IRAs, earnings have tax-deferred or tax-free growth potential, allowing Public members to buy, sell, and build their crypto portfolios for retirement.
For existing Alto CryptoIRA customers, nothing is changing for the time being; they can continue to log into and manage their accounts via the Alto platform. Once the integration is complete, they will access their crypto IRAs through Public, where they will also be able to invest across the full range of asset classes available to Public members.
