ON PURPOSE: Where Do Financial Advisers Stand on Crypto? Inside Bitwise’s 2022 Benchmark Survey

01/25/22 • 24 min

“I think getting smart on crypto is one of the biggest business development opportunities for advisers of the next handful of years.”

Joining “On Purpose” host Tyrone Ross is Matt Hougan, CIO of crypto asset manager Bitwise. Hougan and Ross discuss Bitwise and ETF Trend’s joint benchmark survey of adviser attitudes towards the crypto asset class. The report surveyed over 600 advisers and revealed key indicators of the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) industry’s perceptions of crypto.

How many advisers have personal crypto holdings? Why is there a discrepancy between advisers’ personal holdings and client allocations in crypto? What factors are holding advisers and investors back?

Adviser engagement with crypto assets is on the rise, but client involvement is lagging behind. Continued education is key to relieving concerns on regulation, volatility and more surrounding crypto.

Retail and institutional investors alike have a significant presence in crypto. Will 2022 finally be the year the RIA industry joins them?

This show is produced, announced and edited by Michele Musso with additional production support from Eleanor Pahl. Our Theme song is “Walk With Swag.”

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“I think getting smart on crypto is one of the biggest business development opportunities for advisers of the next handful of years.”

Adviser engagement with crypto assets is on the rise, but client involvement is lagging behind. Continued education is key to relieving concerns on regulation, volatility and more surrounding crypto.

Retail and institutional investors alike have a significant presence in crypto. Will 2022 finally be the year the RIA industry joins them?

This show is produced, announced and edited by Michele Musso with additional production support from Eleanor Pahl. Our Theme song is “Walk With Swag.”

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Previous Episode

OPINIONATED: A Possible Russian Crypto Ban and Vitalik’s Synthetic Womb - This Is 2022

This week on “Opinionated,” the gang dives deep into some big news out of Russia, looks at the issue of rampant intellectual-property theft with NFTs and examines Vitalik Buterin’s idea for synthetic wombs.

(Yes, you read that last one right. The founder of Ethereum thinks babies should be made in Cosmic Cocoons.)

Could Russia ban crypto? That’s a possibility raised by a highly critical Bank of Russia report this week. It said cryptocurrencies are volatile and widely used in illegal activities, such as fraud. The report called for the Kremlin to outlaw mining and issuance, if not the holding of crypto.

Anna Baydakova said banning bitcoin would be a “nightmare” if the West imposes further financial sanctions should Russia invade Ukraine.

Next up, we spoke with Sam Ewen, head of CoinDesk Studios, about an op-ed he wrote this week (“The Balance Between Art and IP Theft in NFT Culture”). Unauthorized NFT projects like MetaBirkins, The Squid NFT and Non-Fungible Olive Gardens have been making thousands of dollars. Ewen expects Web 3 to change the norms around IP online, posing headaches for brands and platforms like OpenSea.

Finally, the gang unpacked Buterin’s baby pod idea, which he floated as a means of female empowerment:

“Disparities in economic success between men and women are far larger once marriage+children enter the picture. Synthetic wombs would remove the high burden of pregnancy, significantly reducing the inequality,” he wrote on Twitter.

While it might be admirable for a tech leader to care about gender inequality (everyone should care more about that!), the team didn’t rate the idea too highly. It smacks of techno-Utopianism.

As we wait for pods to arrive, there may be more practical solutions, noted Baydakova. Like, say, paid maternity leave.

This episode was produced, announced and edited by Michele Musso. Our theme song is by Elision.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Next Episode

OPINIONATED: To Hide or Not to Hide? That’s the Bitcoiner’s Question

Crypto has deep roots in the privacy space. But today’s bitcoiners aren’t quite as skittish about sharing their ID as the maximalists of yesteryear were. This week on “Opinionated,” Lili Rhodes of Foundation Devices argues why they should. Keeping one’s identity hidden – away from the government, from companies, from counterparties – is a table-stakes demand in the privacy game.

Does it have to be? Anna Baydakova, Danny Nelson and Ben Schiller spar over the nature of modern-day privacy, where and why it's necessary, and whether bitcoin has been “corrupted” by those who link trades with names. For those who think it has, buying beyond the banks and exchanges is a must. Check out CoinDesk’s “Privacy Week” package for an inside look.

You scanned your ID at the bitcoin checkout, anon? Anna wrote a guide to help you do better next time ;)

This episode was produced, announced and edited by Michele Musso. Our theme song is by Elision.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.