Is a crypto advisor worth it? Who it is for and what to check
A crypto advisor is worth it when your crypto holdings are already a meaningful share of your wealth and you want to decide with a method, keep custody of your coins and get taxes in order. This guide covers who it makes sense for, a checklist to verify an advisory firm before signing, the six questions to ask in the first call and how Vault's fee model works.
Who a crypto advisor makes sense for
In Brazil, crypto advisory is a regulated service: a securities advisor authorized by the CVM (the Brazilian securities regulator) analyzes your wealth, recommends an allocation and follows the portfolio over time. You decide, and the assets stay in your own accounts and wallets. This format tends to pay off in four situations.
- You already hold, or plan to hold, a relevant share of your wealth in crypto assets and do not want to improvise position sizing and rebalancing.
- You lack the time or technical background to follow the market, and important decisions currently rest on social media.
- Taxes have become a problem: capital gains never computed, late monthly payments or positions abroad missing from your return.
- Your family or company needs a security and succession plan for digital assets, with custody clearly defined.
The crypto-asset market involves significant risks, including high volatility and the possibility of losing the invested capital. Advisory reduces improvisation, not the risk of the asset itself.
Who it does not make sense for
Two profiles tend not to benefit:
- People who want to hand their assets to the advisor to hold. Vault does not take custody: assets always stay in your name, at the exchanges and wallets you choose.
- People looking for guaranteed returns. No CVM-authorized advisor can promise returns. Anyone who does is either outside the rules or lying.
For the difference between an advisor, a broker-tied investment agent and an asset manager, the page crypto advisory: how it works compares the three roles.
Checklist: what to verify before hiring
Before signing any contract, go through the items below. Each row has an objective way to check it.
| What to verify | How to verify it | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| CVM authorization | Look up the CNPJ (Brazilian company ID) or legal name at gov.br/cvm (participant search) and confirm the activity is securities advisory under CVM Resolution 19/2021 | A firm "in the process of registering" or registered only as an investment agent |
| Custody | Ask in writing where the assets sit. The right answer: in your own exchanges and wallets, in your name | Any request to transfer funds, passwords or private keys |
| Who pays the advisor | Compensation must come from the client, in the contract, not from broker or exchange commissions | "Free" advisory paid through the products it recommends |
| Conflicts of interest | Ask for the conflict-of-interest policy and the regulatory documents published on the firm's site | Recommendations of the firm's own token, a partner platform or a yield "pool" |
| Written report | Recommendations and monitoring should be documented | Only signal groups, with nothing documented |
| Track-record claims | Be wary of past performance used as a sales pitch; the rules restrict that use | Profit screenshots, promises of "x percent per month" |
Vault Capital's regulatory documents, including its CNPJ and legal name, are on the compliance page, and the answers on trustworthiness and registration are in the FAQ.
The 6 questions to ask in the first call
The first call is for you to evaluate the advisor, not only the other way around. Bring these questions:
1. Where do my assets stay?
They must stay at your own exchanges and wallets, in your name. The advisor should never hold custody.
2. How is the fee calculated and what is in the contract?
Ask for the basis of calculation, the billing frequency and how adjustments work. All of it should be in writing.
3. Do you receive any commission from exchanges, brokers or projects?
If the answer is yes, there is a conflict of interest in the recommendation.
4. How is the strategy adapted to my profile?
There should be a diagnosis of risk tolerance, time horizon and goals before any allocation.
5. How does day-to-day monitoring work?
Ask how often the portfolio is reviewed, through which channels and whether there is a report.
6. What happens if I want to leave?
Since you keep custody, ending the service should not involve any withdrawal from the advisor. Check the notice period in the contract.
What it costs and how Vault works
Vault Capital is a securities advisory authorized by the CVM under CVM Resolution 19/2021. Vault is compensated through a consultancy fee based on the client's assets, charged monthly, as defined in the contract with each client. Professional investors may opt for a hybrid model that combines a consultancy fee and a performance fee. The exact fee depends on the assets under advisory and is presented in the proposal, after the initial diagnosis, which is free.
The client does not transfer funds to Vault: the fee payment is the only financial transaction between client and advisory, and the investments stay at the institutions and wallets chosen by the client. That is the principle of advisory, never custody. Under CVM Resolution 19/2021, a securities advisor is paid by the client, not by selling products: Vault does not distribute products from brokers or exchanges. The page how crypto advisory works details the three steps of the process and the comparison with investment agents and asset managers.
Frequently asked questions
Is a crypto advisor worth it for a small portfolio?
Vault works with portfolios of any size. How well the service fits the amount invested and your goals is assessed in the free diagnostic conversation, and there is a specific fee model for smaller portfolios, presented in the proposal.
How much does a crypto advisor cost?
It depends on each firm's model. At Vault, compensation is a consultancy fee based on the client's assets, charged monthly and defined in the contract. The exact amount is presented in the proposal, after the diagnosis call.
How do I check whether a crypto advisor is registered with the CVM?
Look up the CNPJ or legal name on the official CVM website (gov.br/cvm) and confirm the authorization is for securities advisory. Compare it with the data published on the firm's own site. If the data do not match, do not proceed.
Are a crypto advisor and a crypto asset manager the same thing?
No. An advisor recommends, and the client decides and keeps custody. An asset manager decides on the client's behalf, with discretionary power over the portfolio, and the assets sit with a hired custodian. They fall under different rules.
Let's talk
If your crypto holdings already call for a method and you want to keep custody, Vault's diagnosis call is the place to put the six questions above to the test. It is free and carries no commitment, and it ends with a straight answer on whether advisory makes sense for your case or not.
Want a strategy for your crypto wealth?
Vault Capital is a CVM-authorized securities advisory. See how the advisory works, what it costs and who it is for.
Learn about the crypto advisory