Trends Watch: Crypto Investing

EisnerAmper’s Trends Watch is a weekly entry to our Alternative Investments Intelligence blog, featuring the views and insights of executives from alternative investment firms. If you’re interested in being featured, please contact Elana Margulies-Snyderman.   

This week, Elana talks with Bryan Courchesne, CEO, DAIM.  

What is your outlook for investing in crypto? 

Bitcoin is now firmly established as a macro asset, and a well-diversified portfolio needs some allocation to it—even if it’s just 1%. Looking forward, we see the crypto space growing at a rapid pace, with many tailwinds likely to benefit investors over the next five-ten years. In the U.S., we’re in an inflationary environment, and holding hard assets has become essential to protect against the U.S Dollar's devaluation. Bitcoin, with its fixed supply, is the hardest asset available and serves as an ideal inflation hedge. We’re still early in the adoption curve, so new investors stand to benefit significantly from bitcoin exposure. 

Altcoins, such as Ethereum and Solana, are leveraging decentralized finance (DeFi) in ways that have the potential to revolutionize how we interact with the internet and conduct financial transactions. Early entry is often a critical advantage in investing, and with crypto, that window is still open. While the market is volatile, the long-term trajectory points upward, providing strong potential for those who invest now. 

Where do you see the greatest opportunities and why? 

Bitcoin represents the greatest opportunity because it’s unlike any other asset. Its fixed supply distinguishes it from companies that can issue more shares or governments that can print more currency. Bitcoin’s unique attributes—such as accessibility, security, and portability—will drive future demand. These dynamics position it well for future success. 
 
While we appreciate the innovation in DeFi and other altcoins (non-bitcoin assets), we maintain a tactical and short-term approach to them, aiming to outperform bitcoin to eventually increase our bitcoin holdings. In the end, our goal is to "stack sats"—accumulating as much bitcoin as possible due to its unparalleled value proposition.

What are the greatest challenges you face and why? 

The regulatory environment poses significant challenges. We operate as a registered investment advisor, one of the few regulated companies in this space, which has helped us build credibility. However, we often encounter potential investors who associate crypto with scams or uncertainty. We believe that more regulation would benefit the industry and encourage greater trust and security for investors, and we welcome these changes. 
 
The lack of regulation also means that investors often fall victim to scams or risky trading strategies, either by "over-trading" on their own or by being misled by unlicensed operators. While we operate with the utmost professionalism, the overall crypto market can be tainted by bad actors, indirectly affecting even legitimate firms like ours. 

What keeps you up at night? 

What keeps us up at night is figuring out how to reach new investors before it’s too late. Recently, we’ve received many inquiries from people who are unknowingly caught up in “pig butchering” scams. These investors come to us thinking we can help them withdraw funds from what they believed was a legitimate crypto platform, only to find out the site is fake and their “crypto mentor” was a scammer. It’s heartbreaking to witness people realize their funds are unrecoverable, especially when they’ve invested more than they can afford to lose. 

The views and opinions expressed above are of the interviewee only, and do not/are not intended to reflect the views of EisnerAmper.