Unchained IRA vs Swan IRA: hold your own keys vs. dollar-cost average
Both are bitcoin-only IRAs with a real self-custody angle, but they optimize for different things. Unchained puts you in a 2-of-3 multisig with your own key. Swan focuses on the cheapest possible recurring buy with segregated custody.
Unchained IRA8.8
HOLD YOUR OWN KEYS
$250/yr flat, 2-of-3 multisig you help control, $2,000 minimum per trade.
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Swan IRA8.5
BUILT FOR RECURRING BUYS
~0.99% per buy, low minimums, segregated custody via Equity Trust.
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Side by side
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OUR VERDICT
Pick Unchained IRA if holding a real key inside your retirement account matters most and you're making larger, less frequent contributions. Pick Swan IRA if you want to dollar-cost average small amounts regularly and are comfortable with fully custodial (but segregated) storage.
Common questions
Can I actually self-custody inside an IRA?
Unchained's structure gets close — a 2-of-3 multisig where you hold one key — while still meeting IRS custodial requirements for retirement accounts. It's not full self-custody, but it's the closest structure among mainstream bitcoin IRA providers.
Is Swan's ~0.99% fee competitive?
It's mid-pack — pricier than iTrustCapital's flat 1% but comparable, and cheaper than Bitcoin IRA's roughly 2% trades.