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Crypto in Clients' Estate Plans: Advisors Not Keeping Up

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Crypto in Clients' Estate Plans: Advisors Not Keeping Up

2026-08-13 15:00 UTCBy AlphaScala Research DeskSource reporting: CoindeskEditorial standards

Crypto in Clients' Estate Plans: Advisors Not Keeping Up

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An informal survey of crypto-holding professionals finds nearly no one uses a traditional advisor for digital assets, despite holding for estate planning. Advisors who ignore this risk losing relevance as new specialized practices emerge.

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What is Bitcoin and how does it work?

A gap is widening between what clients own in crypto and what traditional advisors will touch. And that gap is where advisory relationships could be won or lost, according to an informal survey of crypto-holding professionals.

Joyce Lai, founder of the Real Mamas of Crypto community, a network of more than 220 senior tech professionals who are also mothers, ran the survey. Every respondent is crypto-native and a decision maker in her household finances. The pattern was consistent.

Nearly every respondent described bitcoin and ether as a core long-term position. Asked what they do when capital rotates into AI stocks or IPOs, the dominant answer was, “I notice but hold.” This is buy-and-hold behavior applied to a new asset class, not the day trading portrayed in mainstream media.

Roughly half of respondents said crypto is part of their estate or inheritance planning. Many have considered gifting it to their children. The asset has entered the family balance sheet whether or not an advisor participates.

Exactly one respondent said an advisor manages their crypto. The rest split between “they know but won't touch it,” “they don't know,” and no advisor at all. When asked what it would take to trust an advisor with these assets, respondents were specific: demonstrated industry expertise, understanding of privacy concerns, tax and custody competence, security and credibility. One wrote that an advisor would need to be “crypto native, not a Trad-Fi advisor who read a whitepaper.”

In a companion poll of individuals aged 18 to 23, almost none would default to an advisor for money advice. They named AI tools and parents first, citing cost, trust and accessibility. Asked what a genuinely good advisor looks like, the recurring answer was collaboration: someone “doing it with me,” not explaining at them.

Bryan Courchesne, CEO of DAiM, said the trend reflects a shift from speculation to wealth building. “We're seeing more products that offer tradable exposure to assets – from bitcoin ETFs to pre-IPO companies – but exposure and ownership are not always the same thing,” he said. Investors want direct ownership without the operational risks of self-custody. As portfolios grow, they begin thinking about custody, estate planning, reporting and long-term financial goals rather than simply making the next trade.

Courchesne said that historically, speculation tends to create more losers than winners. Wealth is more often built through disciplined ownership, proper planning and a long-term investment approach. That is why many investors are looking for professional guidance that helps integrate digital assets into a broader financial plan.

He noted that negative headlines have accompanied every major bitcoin cycle – March 2020, late 2022 – but the underlying network continued to operate as designed. “Headlines often reflect short-term sentiment, while long-term investment outcomes are typically driven by fundamentals,” he said. Advisors should help clients distinguish between short-term fear and long-term fundamentals.

The survey also found that several members who have held through multiple market cycles are now building advisory practices aimed at this underserved segment. The market is not waiting.

For advisors, the message is clear: crypto is already in clients' estate plans. The question is whether the advisor will be part of that conversation or left out of it. As more crypto market analysis shows, the asset class is maturing, and the advice gap is becoming a competitive risk.