How Athenic Works
Four steps to put your self-custodied DeFi inside a Roth or Traditional IRA — without giving up your wallet or keys.
Built for DeFi users who already know how to use wallets and on-chain protocols.
Open an Athenic Self-Directed IRA
We help you open a self-directed Roth IRA or Traditional IRA.
Create Your Dedicated DeFi Wallet
You create a brand-new wallet only for IRA activity. You keep full key control; Athenic never has access to your private keys or seed phrase.
Fund the Account
Move funds from an existing IRA or bank into the Athenic IRA structure via rollover or new contributions.
Use DeFi as Usual
Trade, LP, and stake through your dedicated IRA wallet. Eligible gains stay inside the tax-advantaged IRA wrapper.
Remember: This Is Still a Retirement Account
An Athenic account is a tax-advantaged retirement IRA, not a checking account. Withdrawals before retirement age (generally 59½) may be subject to taxes and IRS penalties, depending on your situation. You should only use funds you're comfortable locking up in a long-term retirement vehicle.
Why Your Wallet and IRA Work Together
A regulated IRA custodian holds the IRA on paper.
Your dedicated wallet address is linked to that IRA, not to you personally.
You hold the keys; Athenic never has access to your private keys or seed phrase.
Keeping a separate wallet for IRA activity helps maintain clean separation from personal funds and supports compliance and reporting.
On-chain activity from that wallet is treated as IRA activity, and eligible gains stay inside the tax-advantaged account.
What You Can Do Inside Your Athenic IRA
- Trade tokens on supported DeFi protocols
- Provide liquidity on DEXes
- Stake (including liquid staking, where allowed by the custodian)
- Use lending protocols that fit within IRA rules
- Diversify across supported chains (depending on your plan)
Exact availability may depend on custodian rules and evolving regulations.
What You Can't Do
- Use your IRA wallet for personal spending or payments
- Mix personal and IRA funds in the same wallet
- Buy assets primarily for personal use or enjoyment (for example, personal NFTs)
- Use your IRA to invest in your own startup or a company where you or close family have a significant or controlling interest
- Borrow from your IRA or use it as collateral for personal loans
- Send funds from the IRA wallet to yourself or related parties for personal benefit
Supported Blockchains
Ethereum
Solana
Polygon
Avalanche
Base
Who Holds What?
The custodian holds the IRA as required by law.
You hold and control the wallet used for IRA activity.
Athenic provides the technology and workflows; we do not take custody of your crypto.
Disclaimer: Athenic does not provide investment, tax, or legal advice. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific asset or strategy. IRA rules are complex and may change; you should consult your own tax, legal, and investment professionals about your specific situation. Cryptocurrency investing involves risk, including the risk of loss of principal.