Crypto markets surged after President Trump signed an order allowing 401(k) plans to invest in digital assets, unlocking $8.7 trillion in retirement funds

This is yet another channel of sustained, long-term demand for Bitcoin that will bid the price higher,” Ryan Rasmussen, head of research at the crypto asset management firm Bitwise, told Fortune. The rise in the crypto and equities markets follows multiple reports that Trump will sign an executive order Thursday midday that will task the Labor Department to reevaluate guidance for fund managers about whether alternative assets can be included in 401 (k)s.

President Trump’s upcoming executive order could open the door for Bitcoin, private equity, and real estate in U.S. retirement plans.