According to the source, the inclusion of cryptocurrencies in 401k retirement funds has come under scrutiny following a $2 trillion market downturn. Duke's Lee Reiners emphasized that 401k plans should not risk exposure to speculative assets. Meanwhile, BlockTrust IRA, managing $70 million in assets, admitted it was unable to exit positions quickly during the market crash, raising concerns about the viability of crypto as a retirement investment option.

According to @0xferg, retirement funds controlling trillions will only allocate to crypto sectors with demonstrable utility, positioning Web3 gaming as one of the few investable use cases (source: @0xferg on X, Aug 12, 2025). According to @0xferg, this utility-first filter directs institutional attention toward practical, user-validated Web3 gaming ecosystems rather than speculative narratives (source: @0xferg). According to @0xferg, traders should watch the Web3 gaming sector as a potential focal point for institutional allocations if retirement-plan capital enters crypto under these criteria (source: @0xferg).