Crypto as a specialty, not a keyword
A real crypto specialty is measurable — it shows up in how the advisor handles cost-basis across exchanges, how they structure tax-loss harvesting with digital assets, whether they understand staking and DeFi income for tax purposes, and how they think about custody, inheritance, and the long-tail regulatory overhang. It should not be the case that 'we can help with crypto' is the whole answer.
Questions that separate depth from branding
Ask how they reconcile basis across a client's history of wallet-to-wallet transfers. Ask how they'd treat staking income for a client in a state without clear guidance. Ask what they recommend for inherited crypto with no pre-existing plan. Depth shows up fast; branding breaks fast.
Integration with the rest of the plan
Crypto-only advice isn't the goal — it's integration with the rest of a household's financial plan that matters. How does concentrated digital-asset exposure interact with the tax-aware drawdown plan? With retirement-account choices? With estate structure? A real specialist ties crypto to the whole plan, not treats it as a separate bucket.