Perfect storm? I think you mean the opposite – stars aligned. Yes, there are lots of great developments underway. You mention only two: the halving in 2024, and the spot bitcoin ETFs (which might come to market any day, not necessarily in 2024). I’d add: new legislation on stablecoins (and PayPal’s introduction of one), Ripple’s [...]

The following by Peter Zeihan on August 31, 2023: "With all the buzz around central banks starting digital currencies and one of these entities controlling all transactions, I think it's about time I burst everyone's bubble... Fintech has blown up because it slims down the traditional money transfer process and removes some of the associated [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

We offer a list of estate planning attorneys with expertise in digital assets in our Yellow Pages directory.

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 [...]