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For those holding the CFP designation: To receive your CE credits, be sure to list your CFP Board ID in your User Profile. We’ll submit your CE credits to the CFP Board for you, within two weeks of your completing the course. If you don’t receive word about your CE credits from the CFP Board after two weeks, contact us education@dacfp.com.
For those holding the CIMA®, CPWA®, CIMC® or RMA® designations: Upon completion of the Certificate course, you may report CE credit yourself.
Yes, for the CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CIMC®, and RMA® designations. Depending on the track you select, and whether you choose the Advanced or Basic programs, you’ll earn 12 to 18 CE credits for completing the Certificate course, as show in the chart below.
Don’t need CE credits? No problem! You’ll benefits from the education you obtain regardless of whether you need CE credits.
Yes. Immediately upon completion of the course, you will receive an email from Credly that shows how to easily post your badge on your LinkedIn profile and other social media accounts.
Yes. Shortly after you You will receive a PDF of your Certificate that can print and frame.
Your Certificate is valid for one year following successful completion of the course. You will be then be invited to complete an Update Course, which will provide you with additional CE credit and entitle you to continue promoting your achievement for another year. You’ll also have continued access to all of DACFP’s additional content for another full year, at no additional cost.
Yes. Your enrollment expires after one year.
Yes. You’ll take a quiz upon completion of each module, and you must score 70% or higher in order to proceed to the next module. If you don’t pass, you simply re-take the quiz. You must pass all the quizzes in order to obtain your Certificate and earn your CE credits.
You can complete the entire program in a weekend if you binge, or you can take an entire year. Most people complete the program in less than two weeks.
No. However, for best comprehension, we recommend you take the modules in the sequence presented.
You can access the modules 24/7 by visiting the DACFP Learning Center.
Select your course at the DACFP Learning Center and follow the easy online payment process.
No. You must have internet access to access the course.
We recommend accessing the course via your desktop or laptop computer. You can also access the course via mobile or tablet platforms.
You should use Chrome or Internet Explorer.
Yes. We can create a customized course for your organization to fit your needs – anything from 3-minute segments to a comprehensive 18-hour program – under your brand and logo. You can use your White Label Program to train your staff or in a marketing campaign to attract new business! Contact education@dacfp.com to learn more.
You have one year to complete the Certificate course. If you don’t finish, you would have to re-enroll and start again. The average student completed the course in less than two weeks, so it’s likely that you’ll complete the course with flying colors!
No. The Certificate modules are only available to those enrolled in the program. However, we do offer separate courses on a variety of crypto topics that are not covered by the Certificate course. All of these separate courses are available at no cost to those enrolled in the Certificate course. If you are not enrolled, these individual classes are $299 each.
Financial advisors directly serve clients. Financial professionals work in the financial services industry but are not client-facing.
Yes. Your additional enrollment must use the same contact information as your original enrollment. Contact education@dacfp.com to learn more.
Yes. If you decide to switch to a different track, we will credit 75% of your tuition to the other track.
Yes. Reach out to education@dacfp.com with your request.
Each track is tailored to needs of four different audiences:
Financial Advisor Track – this is the track you want if you’re serving clients.
Financial Professionals Track – if you’re in the financial services industry but not client-facing, this track is for you.
Crypto Professionals Track – Have you recently been hired by a crypto company? This track will get you trained quickly so you can become productive faster!
Consumer/Investor/Student Track – this is everyone’s opportunity to learn about crypto!
And, each of the above tracks offers a Basic Course that provides foundational knowledge, and an Advanced Course if you want to learn even more. Click any of the above links to see complete course details.
Yes. The course debuted in 2021 and was last revised in March 2023. The next update will occur when needed. In the meantime, we publish additional online courses with new content, all of which is free for those enrolled in the Certificate course.
The course starts when you enroll. The program is online, self-study and self-paced. You can complete the entire program in a weekend if you binge, or you can take an entire year to complete the program. Most people complete the program in less than two weeks.
Your organization can receive a tuition discount, saving everyone money. Contact education@dacfp.com to learn more.
Group discounts are available. However, students enroll individually, and one certificate is awarded per enrollment.
No. To get started, simply choose your track and select the ADVANCED or BASIC course.
Yes. Crypto is a global technology and used worldwide. So far, individuals from 8 countries have completed the Certificate program. Be aware that course content covers U.S. taxes, laws and regulations which might not be relevant for those living or working outside the United States.
It doesn’t matter whether or not your firm allows you to recommend crypto to clients. The fact is that many of your clients own crypto, and many others are curious about it. The Certificate course gives you the knowledge you need about tax, estate planning and risk management so that you know how to answer client questions.
You’ll also learn how to become aware of your clients’ outside investments in crypto so that you can adjust your financial planning and investment recommendations accordingly. None of this has anything to do with actually recommending crypto; it’s solely intended to allow you to be of greater value and service to your clients. It’s hard to imagine that any corporate executive would object to your desire to increase your knowledge.
Each organization establishes its own policies. That said, the Certificate course has endorsed by the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards, Investment Adviser Association, Money Management Institute, Investments and Wealth Institute, Financial Planning Association, National Association of Professional Financial Advisors, XY Planning Network and many others. DACFP is also the official crypto education partner for Charles Schwab, Fidelity and many other financial services firms.
We are happy to talk with your Legal & Compliance team about the course. No firm would prevent you from taking the course; the only question is whether you’re allowed to publicly promote the fact that you’ve completed the course.
None. The Certificate program begins with introductory modules as well as deeper sessions. We also offer Basic and Advanced tracks, so you can decide how much you want to learn. Whether you are a compliance officer holding a law degree or merely “crypto curious,” you’ll benefit from this extensive and enlightening course.
Crypto represents the first new asset class in 170 years. (The last time an asset class was introduced was the discovery of oil in the 1850s.) This innovative technology, which is widely regarded as “Internet 3.0”, is projected to impact commerce on a global scale – allowing businesses to operate faster, cheaper and safer than ever before. The resulting financial planning and investment implications demand attention.
This is why you need to become fluent in crypto – and the fastest, easiest and most effective way for you to do so is to obtain your Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets. And by obtaining your Certificate, you’ll not only become knowledgeable about crypto, your display of your Certificate will let you promote your achievement – helping to build your career.
So, whether you’re in the financial services industry, a member of the crypto community, or among the crypto-curious, you’ll gain many benefits by learning about this new and innovative technology.
DACFP’s courses, including its Certificate program, are approved by the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards and the Investments and Wealth Institute to award Continuing Education credits. DACFP is also endorsed by the Investment Adviser Association, Money Management Institute, Financial Planning Association, National Association of Professional Financial Advisors, XY Planning Network and others.
The DACFP Learning Center is an online resource that helps you learn about blockchain and digital assets. It’s the home of the DACFP Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets course, as well as other courses and content provided by DACFP.
Jim Krebec, CFP®, President, CIC Investment Consultants | Ric Responded December 30, 2021fryoneusa2021-12-30T16:07:15-05:00
If you’re simply listing asset classes such as stocks and bonds, I see no issue with also mentioning digital assets (I wouldn’t mention bitcoin specifically) – just as I’d see no issue with mentioning other asset classes, such as real estate or gold. I’d have my compliance department approve any ad before using it, to make sure the proper disclosures are present; you want to be clear if you’re offering an asset or a security investing in that asset (a REIT vs real estate, or gold ETF vs gold, or GBTC vs bitcoin). And be sure you’re not violating your firm’s “selling away” rules.
Lars Larsen, ChFC®, President, Heritage Financial North | Ric responded December 30, 2021fryoneusa2021-12-30T11:17:25-05:00
OTC products will likely be of little interest to investors after ETFs become available. That’s why all the OTC sponsors have committed to converting their OTC securities to ETFs. Makes sense. And that offers investors an arbitrage play: GBTC, for example, is trading at a discount. If it converts to an ETF, theoretically that discount would vanish – giving GBTC owners a nice little bump! Of course, this depends on the conversion occurring.
Trey Barnes, Sr. Wealth Advisor, Mariner Wealth Advisors | Ric Responded December 16, 2021fryoneusa2021-12-16T20:02:15-05:00
The appraisal is required by the IRS, not Fidelity. This is true for any charitable donation of non-cash, non-securities of $5,000 or more. Fidelity gives you a confirmation showing the date they receive your crypto and the selling price, but the IRS won’t accept that as a legal appraisal. You have to hire an appraiser, and Fidelity can refer you to such folks (and look at our Yellow Pages for a list of appraisers – we’re adding to this list often.) Yes, an annoying aspect of making donations of crypto. I think you can get it done for less than $600.
Timothy Reid Bolinger, Financial Advisor, Fisher Wealth Management | Ric Responded November 18, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-18T13:45:10-05:00
I’m not aware that you can name a beneficiary to accounts at Coinbase. This is not uncommon, as many institutions don’t allow you to name beneficiaries on taxable accounts. Traditionally, beneficiary designations are set for retirement accounts, wills & trusts, and annuities. So, if your financial institution doesn’t allow you to name a beneficiary on the account, you’ll have to do so in your will or trust (and make sure the relevant document references or applies to the account).
Many digital asset exchanges do not permit trust registrations, or even joint registrations with spouses; they often permit only registrations featuring the name of a sole individual. This is archaic, reflecting the fact that they are not aware of, or don’t care about, the estate planning and tax planning aspects of asset ownership. This will improve over time as they mature – and as they continue to engage with the financial services industry. For now, it remains cumbersome at many exchanges. No one in the field is winning any awards for customer service yet. Soon, though, as competition grows, pricing and service will improve. The analogy: when Model T cars first got produced, there weren’t any paved roads. Just dirt trails created by horses pulling buggies. Over time, those trails were paved, and later, highways built. Service, performance and reliability all improved exponentially. In crypto, we’re still in the horse-and-buggy days. It’s a hassle, but you’re being rewarded by having profit potential that future participants might not enjoy.
Your notion of using a cold wallet won’t help you, by the way. There’s no registration at all with such a device, let alone opportunity to name a beneficiary. If you put your digital assets onto a flash drive, make sure your heir knows where you store it and how to access it.
Alex Smith, Managing Director, Individual IRA | Ric responded November 17, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-18T13:53:03-05:00
For sure, our Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets program is a great way to start. Beyond that, read as much as you can and attend as many events as you can. We list great news services at the DACFP Yellow Pages. And when you become fully immersed and are ready to devote full-time effort to this career-wise, the crypto community will welcome you!
James Pazderak, President, Covenant Wealth Advisors | Ric responded, November 18, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-18T13:42:11-05:00
That’s a big question. We cover it in detail in our DACFP Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets program – and we’re creating a new 1-hour presentation to address this specifically. Visit our Events page to register for our upcoming webinars and to watch replays of our past events. Also, you can find all the offerings at the DACFP Yellow Pages – it’s a great place to start your due diligence efforts
Cody Murray, Financial Planner, Bivin & Associates | Ric responded, November 9, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-09T13:03:04-05:00
We offer a list of estate planning attorneys with expertise in digital assets in our Yellow Pages directory.
Michael Eastham, President, Fellowship Financial Group | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:54:39-04:00
It’s all over the map. RIAs are a diverse group of professionals – and as a result, their approaches to digital assets vary greatly. Thus, every company offering access to the marketplace is gaining assets.
Don’t worry about what others are doing. Explore each option that’s available. Then, using your knowledge about your clients and your practice, you’ll be able to choose the approach that’s best for you and each client.
H. William Wolfson, Wolfson Financial Advisors| Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:53:21-04:00
Great idea! If gains occur as many project, placing those gains into a tax-free account is a great idea. Several firms, including Choice by Kingdom Trust, allow you to buy digital assets in IRAs and Roth IRAs.
Zachary Hoyer, CIO, Financial Services | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:52:32-04:00
With many exchanges, yes.
Daniel Hart, RIA, APS Management Group, Inc | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:51:50-04:00
Yes. Several firms facilitate this.
Ted Krammer, Principal, Krammer Financial | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:51:01-04:00
Same as IRAs. The paperwork is mildly different but no big deal.
Karen Flynn, Retired, RIA | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-18T15:28:53-05:00
I have certainly felt that this is a given. However, Sunayna Tuteja, Chief Innovation Officer at the Federal Reserve, said at October’s DACFP VISION conference that use of a blockchain to create and operation a US CBDC is not a given. Other technology, she speculated, could be used, although she did not elaborate. My bet is still on DLT.
Ryan Peterson, President, Copperleaf Capital| Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:49:00-04:00
Sure, provided they have an earned income. I often joke with clients that they should have their babies become models, appearing in ads for baby food and kids’ clothing. Let them earn an income so they can place it into a Roth IRA! Teenagers mowing lawns and babysitting can also open Roth IRAs. Mom and Dad can hire the kids to do chores. Allowances are not eligible for IRA contributions, but income is!
Leon Osborne, Due Diligence Consultant, MML Investor Services, | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:48:21-04:00
Those serving financial advisors do.
Michael Eastham Advisor | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:42:12-04:00
Yes. Offline is safer (you can’t hack a filing cabinet) but doesn’t allow for instant trading. Online is convenient but exposes you to hacker risk.
Richard Turgeon, CIO, Wellspring Financial Advisors | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:40:50-04:00
Sure. And many think that’s exactly what will happen.
Peter Sullivan, Associate Wealth Manager, Thompson Wealth Management | Ric responded, October 19, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:39:57-04:00
I expect the SEC to approve a bitcoin ETF within 18 months. And I’ve been saying that for 7 years.
Thomas Yorke, Managing Director, Oceanic Capital Management | Ric responded, November 1, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:36:41-04:00
I have no idea what their theoretical value is. I only know their real prices.
Phyllis Chapman, Portfolio Manager | Ric responded, November 1, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-18T15:30:52-05:00
The wash sale rule applies to securities. Bitcoin is not a security; therefore, the wash sale rule does not apply to it. But other coins are considered to be securities, so the wash sale rule does apply to them. Also, OTC trusts, such as GBTC, BITW and OBTC, are securities and thus fall under the rule.
But all this is likely to be moot. The new tax bill has a provision that applies the wash sale rule to everything, whether they are securities or not.
Marcel Lewinson, Financial Professional | Ric responded, November 1, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:34:50-04:00
Give them a copy of new book, The Truth About Crypto, which is being released in May. You can preorder now, and if you’d like to order bulk copies at a discount, give us a shout.
Mindy Laprel, CFP | Ric responded, November 1, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-01T17:33:15-04:00
Zero. That’s a beauty of buying bitcoin – it helps with portfolio diversification, ala Markowitz and the Efficient Frontier.
Patricia Whitley, Advisor | Ric responded, September 22, 2021fryoneusa2021-09-22T14:24:55-04:00
The wash sale rule applies to securities. Bitcoin is not a security; therefore, the wash sale rule does not apply to it. But other coins are considered to be securities, so the wash sale rule does apply to them. Also, OTC trusts, such as GBTC, BITW and OBTC, are securities and thus fall under the rule.
But all this is likely to be moot. The new tax bill has a provision that applies the wash sale rule to everything, whether they are securities or not.
Brendan Murray, President, Health & Wealth Inc. | Ric responded September 16, 2021fryoneusa2021-09-16T16:02:51-04:00
Anyone can advise anyone on anything, subject to federal and state regulation. For example, you need licenses for real estate, insurance, securities and investment management. You don’t need licenses for rare coins, wine or comic books.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are not securities. But many other digital assets are, as are the mutual funds and ETFs in this space. So, you would need licenses.
If all you’re doing is education, and not managing money for a fee, then I don’t think licenses would be needed. States often have lots of license requirements – for everyone from hairdressers to masseuses – so check on all this with a local attorney.
Dustin Terry, Founder, Clear Harbor Wealth Management | Ric responded, September 7, 2021fryoneusa2021-09-07T19:15:57-04:00
Most standard E&O policies cover digital assets – when you obtain them via securities such as mutual funds and ETFs. And there’s plenty of opportunity to do that, with funds offered by Bitwise, Osprey and Grayscale, as well as Simplify, ProFunds and others. Lots of accredited funds are available, too, from Skybridge Capital, Pantera, Galaxy and more. There are also SMAs, such as Arbor Digital and Eaglebrook Advisors.
Buying bitcoin or other coins or tokens from exchanges like Coinbase or Gemini might not be covered by your E&O policy. But since you can’t manage assets for your clients in that way, I’m not sure why you’d want to.
Rick Dwyer, Chief Development Officer, Strategy Marketplace | Ric responded, Aug 13, 2021fryoneusa2021-08-16T01:48:50-04:00
In addition to block rewards, which is how miners receive bitcoins in exchange for solving the computational equations, users pay gas fees. These are costs to have your transaction verified ahead of other transactions. With the full 21 million coins in place, there will be lots of users, and lots of demand for transaction verification, and hence, lots of gas fees (both in number and price). Theoretically, the gas fees will be sufficient compensation to keep the miners motivated.
Jason Cooke, Advisor, Hermann & Cooke | Ric responded, March 4, 2021fryoneusa2021-07-20T10:47:35-04:00
The captain of the Titanic was certain he had smooth sailing too. On that basis, that’s why you diversify.
Does that mean you should put all of your money into bitcoin? I think we can all agree that would be foolish. But to do none, out of extreme fear that something might go wrong, is equally foolish.
I think you need to look at it from a rational perspective of diversification and prudent money management. Just as you would with any asset class, especially an emerging one.
Ric responded, March 4, 2021
Bruce Lemley | Ric responded, February 1, 2021fryoneusa2021-11-18T15:33:57-05:00
I created Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals to answer questions just like this one. The DACFP Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets course provides allows advisors to demonstrate to their clients that they have attained the education and can provide advice that is in the client’s best interest.
This is an online class with 13 CE credits, taken at your own pace. The 11 modules are split into two camps. The first five modules are on blockchain and digital assets. This is the fundamental knowledge and education needed to understand digital assets and explain it to clients. The second five modules are centric to financial advisors. This half focuses on practice management elements so that advisors can actually put all of these methods to use. The certificate covers questions such as these:
- How do you integrate this into asset allocation?
- How do you diversify?
- And what are the reasons for doing so?
- How do you create the asset allocation models?
- Where do you buy it?
- What exchanges what?
- What custodians do you use?
- What are the funds that are available for purchase?
- How do you store it and safeguard it?
- Do you do that through hot or cold wallets?
- How do you track it?
- How do you provide the record keeping?
- How do you rebalance it?
- How do you do the tax reporting?
- How to integrate it into rebalancing with the rest of your portfolio and as a financial advisor?
- How do you provide or receive compensation along with the rest of your asset management services?
- What are the tax reporting obligations?
- The regulatory requirements?
- What are all the issues associated to allow the advisor to do their job as an advisor while serving the client in their best interests?
Please visit our Certification in Blockchain and Digital Assets page for further details and to register.
Ric responded, February 1, 2021
Beth Bebb, Regional Learning Specialist, Thrivent | Ric responded, February 10, 2021fryoneusa2021-07-20T10:47:58-04:00
There are some platforms available where you can invest your IRA into Bitcoin. These are cumbersome. They are not primary players. It raises concern by the advisor who has reputational risk, as well as the investor who has confidence risk. And it reduces the degree to which there is engagement and involvement by both advisors and their clients. These do exist, but they’re more expensive than they alternatively would be. Some folks are saying, I don’t mind paying a 3 percent fee if I’m dealing with an asset that’s growing double digits every year.
Fidelity Digital Assets is providing these services for the institutional marketplace. They will eventually roll it out for the retail marketplace. You’ve got companies like Kingdom Trust, which manages 19 billion dollars in assets. That’s a qualified custodian you can actually use to buy Bitcoin in your IRA.
Ric responded, February 10, 2021
Patrick McReynolds, Investment Analyst, Merrill | Ric responded, December 15, 2020fryoneusa2021-07-20T13:53:59-04:00
The SEC will approve a bitcoin ETF within 18 months. I’ve been saying that for five years. Hey, at some point, I’ll be right! Until then, you should explore alternative ways to buy. There are many, and we cite lots of them at RIADAC.com.
Ric responded, December 15, 2021
Christopher Rubio, Account Development Representative, MongoDB | Ric responded, December 15, 2020fryoneusa2021-07-20T10:48:40-04:00
I’m the guy who pioneered the concept, a few years ago, of a one percent asset allocation model. In traditional asset management activities, if you’re not going to put three percent or five percent of assets into an asset class then why bother doing it? It’s not going to have a material impact on the portfolio. However, with Bitcoin, you don’t need five, 10 or 20 percent, which you would likely do with stocks or bonds. Bitcoin has a lot of unknowns technologically and regulatory.
My position is that you don’t need to do 10 or 20 to have a meaningful exposure. One percent allocation is plenty and the reason for that is Bitcoin’s incredible volatility.
A one percent allocation won’t hurt you. If you’re wrong, it’ll be annoying, but not devastating. And if you’re right, that one percent allocation can have a material impact on the improvement of your client’s returns.
Therefore, it is very much worthwhile to learn about Bitcoin. I’m not saying you have to like it. I’m saying as an advisor you have an obligation to learn about it.
Ric responded, December 15, 2020