Questions to Ask Before Referring a Client to a Bitcoin Specialist

What should professional referrers verify first?

Confirm the specialist’s registration and fiduciary status, scope of services, sizing and governance process, custody arrangements, fee and conflict disclosures, and coordination practices with the referring adviser, CPA, and attorney. A referral should fit the client’s circumstances and the referring professional’s responsibilities.

Registration, Form ADV, and scope

Which legal entity provides the service, and where is it registered or exempt? Review the current Form ADV Part 2A and 2B, relevant disciplinary information, service scope, decision authority, and what is explicitly outside the engagement. Confirm whether the specialist gives advice, manages assets, supports execution, or provides education.

Referral relationship and client communication

How is the referral relationship documented and disclosed? Are any payments, credits, or other benefits involved? Who owns the client relationship, what information may be shared, and how will reporting and communication be coordinated with the referring professional? Confirm client consent and appropriate privacy safeguards.

Custody and compliance practices

Who legally owns the Bitcoin, who controls keys and transaction authority, and which custodian is involved? Ask about separation of duties, account access, transaction approval, reconciliation, recordkeeping, incident response, business continuity, and succession. How does the specialist monitor whether communications and activity remain within the disclosed service scope?

How is a 50 to 70% drawdown handled?

Ask what the written mandate says before a drawdown occurs. Who contacts the client, what is reported, which decisions require approval, and what thresholds trigger review? Look for a defined process rather than a prediction about price or recovery.

What should a family office or principal ask?

Ask who owes the client a fiduciary duty, what the specialist is engaged to do, how sizing is reasoned and documented, who controls custody and keys, how fees and conflicts are disclosed, and what reporting the family will receive. Request clear answers that can be tested against the written agreement and Form ADV.

How can an adviser verify registration?

Use the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) site to search the firm or individual. Review the registration status and public Form ADV record, confirm the legal name and CRD details, and make sure the record matches the entity proposed for the engagement. Veritas Bitcoin Strategies can be looked up there under CRD 306768 at its firm record. This is a verification step, not an endorsement.

Related resources include How Much Bitcoin Should a Family Office Own?, What Belongs in a Bitcoin Investment Policy Statement, the custody paper, the firm’s services, and its FAQ.