Next Generation Trust Company, a full-service account administrator and asset custodian for self-directed IRAs, has announced a strategic partnership with ETZ Soft, a third-party platform that enables clients to trade and invest directly in cryptocurrency. Announced July 22, 2026, the collaboration allows Next Generation clients to allocate funds from their self-directed retirement plans to trade digital assets through the ETZ Soft mobile app, with institutional-grade custody and trading powered by Coinbase Prime.
Jaime Raskulinecz, CEO of Next Generation Trust Company, emphasized the partnership's focus on enhancing the client experience. “At Next Generation, we are always looking for ways to improve our clients’ investing experience and there are not many platforms with this kind of configuration,” she said. “I like the ease in which our self-directed investors can allocate a portion of their retirement plan’s funds to trade directly on ETZ Soft.”
Self-directed IRAs allow a wide range of alternative assets, including cryptocurrency, but require careful compliance with IRS guidelines. ETZ Soft acts as a bridge for the self-directed IRA to invest in crypto via Coinbase. Investors must first open and fund an account at Next Generation Trust Company. They then download the ETZ Soft mobile app, create an IRA subaccount with a funds transfer from their self-directed IRA, and start trading digital assets 24/7 within the app. The platform offers access to the top 50 coins as well as tokenized gold.
The partnership addresses a growing demand among self-directed IRA clients for exposure to the crypto market as part of a broader alternative asset strategy. Seth Bergida, Head of Client Success for ETZ Soft, noted, “Self-directed IRA clients are increasingly seeking exposure to the crypto market as part of a broader alternative asset strategy and SDIRA providers and custodians need a secure, compliant solution to offer crypto investing for their clients. We are pleased to create this strategic partnership with Next Generation Trust Company to make it easier for their clients to invest in crypto without adding any complexity to Next Generation’s operations.”
Key to the arrangement is the compliance with IRS rules requiring all income and expenses to flow through the self-directed IRA account. When a client wishes to trade crypto on ETZ, funds must come from the client's Next Generation IRA into the ETZ sub-account; any cash distributions after the asset is sold come back to the self-directed IRA. This ensures that all transactions remain within the tax-advantaged retirement structure.
For leaders in business and technology, this partnership highlights the increasing integration of digital assets into traditional retirement planning. By enabling direct cryptocurrency investing within self-directed IRAs, Next Generation and ETZ Soft provide a compliant pathway for investors to diversify their portfolios with alternative assets without the complexity of managing separate crypto wallets or platforms. The move could set a precedent for other custodians and financial institutions seeking to offer crypto exposure to retirement savers.
To learn more about the many alternative assets allowed in SDIRAs, including cryptocurrency, visit NextGenerationTrust.com. For more information about ETZ Soft, go to etzsoft.com.
