Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Want to invest in crypto? There's a consultant for that

Want to invest in crypto? There's a consultant for that

Cryptocurrency enthusiasm is skyrocketing, and while information surrounding digital currency is becoming more attainable, there's still a big gap between access and knowledge. That's where cryptocurrency consultants come in.

With digital currency markets in turmoil, crypto consultants are in high demand. Cryptocurrency popularity soared in April as trading platform Coinbase went public at a valuation of $86 billion. Exchange platforms like Coinbase have made the crypto world more accessible for the average investor, boosting interest in the sector.

And it shows. Bitcoin surged to a record high in April, followed by a wild 500% rally in dogecoin, an asset that was created as a joke in 2013. Cryptocurrency backers have spent years insisting that ethereum, bitcoin and other digital assets could revolutionize the world of finance, and with the success of Coinbase's Wall Street debut, those backers are finally having their moment.

Getting started


Nicole DeCicco, a single mom in Portland, Oregon, started her own cryptocurrency consulting firm, CryptoConsultz, in 2017 after a hacker stole 323 ethereum tokens from her, which she says would now be worth more than $1 million.

DeCicco was working as a nurse at the time she was hacked. She was mining ethereum in her garage as a hobby, and she said the "very devastating experience" completely changed her career trajectory. "It really fueled my passion for helping others have access to cryptocurrency and to learn about blockchain technology," DeCicco told CNN Business.

Nicole DeCicco, founder of CryptoConsultz, has a mining operation in her garage in Portland, Oregon.


She offers consulting to individual investors and businesses. An initial one-on-one consultation costs $350 per hour and an initial business consultation comes in at $650 per hour. Follow-up consultations cost $300 for a one-on-one appointment and $550 for a business appointment. Along with running her own consulting firm, DeCicco works as the vice president of business development at Blockchain Mint and Cold Storage Coins. Both companies produce crypto-related products in the form of tangible assets including gold and silver coins.

Through her services, DeCicco teaches investors how to navigate the crypto markets, including buying, selling and trading digital currencies, and offers crypto 101 webinars that dive into the basics of digital currencies and the blockchain. She also shows clients how to monitor their investments and decrease their risk of losing money.

Catching the buzz


Cryptocurrency is buzzing in pop culture, too. Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk joked about dogecoin on "Saturday Night Live" and he often tweets about bitcoin, which can wreak havoc on the market. Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter tweeted about the recently launched shiba coin — a spinoff of meme-inspired dogecoin — on May 10, sharing the hashtags #SHIBARMY and #shiba with a GIF of a spinning coin.

One shiba coin is currently worth less than one cent, but the cryptocurrency has increased in value by more than 2,000% over the past month, and currently has a market cap of $5.9 billion, according to Coinbase.

Pricey advice


The consultant offerings range from investment advice to tech help and assistance for people who want to set up their own cryptocurrency mining rigs at home.

And the prices vary, too. Cryptocurrency consultant Shane Staats started his career working in e-commerce and tech support in 2003. Since then, he's had a wide range of jobs, and he now owns a crypto consulting firm where he charges clients $650 per hour. "My price affects the clients that I attract," Staats told CNN Business. But he says some of his clients only need one session, and then they're off to the races.

Crypto consultant Russ Davis, who has pursued a variety of ventures in the last decade, including credit card processing, has seen his business, In Russ We Trust Crypto, take off this year. He said he consulted about 500 investors in February — a group made up of his friends, family members, and Facebook group followers. Each person invested, on average, around $300 in shiba coin, per his recommendation. At the time, the amount of money invested totaled about $150,000. At the coin's current value, those investments are now worth about $60 million, Davis told CNN Business. Since then, Davis says he has established a list of celebrity clients.

Risky business


As with the market itself, crypto consulting is totally unregulated, so consultants don't technically need official qualifications, and there is no way to know exactly how many advisers are pursuing this career path.

And as the public is becoming increasingly interested in investing in crypto, a huge part of the education process involves acknowledging the intense volatility in digital currency values. "It's a dangerous game," Mark D'Aria, CEO of Bitpro IT, a company that purchases crypto mining hardware, told CNN
Business. And when it comes to investing, "Unless you are prepared to watch your money disappear, don't even think about it," he said.

Robert Pagliarini is a certified financial planner and the president and chief financial adviser at Pacifica Wealth Advisors, where he focuses on financial transitions such as retirement, selling a business, inheritance, stock options and other sudden wealth events. "Certainly, over the last year, there have been a lot more conversations with clients about crypto investing," he said. "It's sort of just taken everyone by surprise, I think, in the financial world."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×