Karla Barker 
More clients are putting crypto into their estate plans, but most traditional advisors still are not touching it. That gap is becoming a serious risk for advisory relationships.
An informal survey of the Real Mamas of Crypto community makes the point clear. The group is a global network of more than 220 senior professionals in tech who are also mothers. Every member is crypto-native and makes household financial decisions. The responses show a consistent pattern.
Nearly every respondent described bitcoin, ether or solana as a core long-term position. When asked what they do when capital rotates into AI stocks or IPOs, the dominant answer was that they notice the move but keep holding. This is not day trading. It is buy-and-hold behavior applied to a new asset class.
Estate Plans Already Include Crypto
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.
But almost no one is using a wealth advisor to manage crypto. Exactly one respondent said an advisor manages their crypto. The rest said their advisor knows but will not touch it, does not know, or they have no advisor at all.
Trust is the main issue. Respondents were specific about what would make them trust an advisor with these assets: demonstrated industry expertise, understanding of privacy concerns, tax and custody competence, security and credibility. One person wrote that an advisor would need to be crypto native, not a traditional finance advisor who read a whitepaper.
The Cost of Ignoring the Gap
Advisors add value when they make life easier. That means fewer accounts, less paperwork, and fewer people to call. Crypto adds accounts and complexity. If the advisor will not handle it, clients go elsewhere. The gap is not just about asset allocation. It is a touch point where advisory relationships are won or lost.
Policy is moving as well. The Bank of England has moved its Digital Pound Lab testing forward to Phase 2. Stablecoin and CBDC interoperability in trade finance is being tested with Polygon providing settlement infrastructure. The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said crypto companies should be able to apply for bank charters. That opens a potential path for digital asset firms to enter the national banking system.
None of this means every advisor needs to become a crypto specialist overnight. But the survey suggests clients are already making decisions with or without their advisor. With estate plans, long-term holdings, and policy changes all pointing in the same direction, the advice gap will not close on its own.