CoinDesk’s Beth Haddock Urges Advisors To Revisit Crypto Due Diligence Questions

Crypto due diligence is shifting for financial advisors as the digital asset market develops, with CoinDesk’s Beth Haddock urging a renewed focus on “how client cash is managed” and “how regulatory assumptions should be disclosed” in 2026.

“Crypto for Advisors: The crypto due diligence questions you forgot to ask As stablecoins, shifting regulation and AI-enabled infrastructure mature, advisors should revisit three questions their crypto due diligence may no longer fully cover”

@coindesk

CoinDesk frames the objective as practical—“meet fiduciary duties, protect client trust and adapt as the market changes”—while also highlighting liability questions when “AI executes crypto trades.”

@coindesk

Zamin.uz similarly stresses that advisors should not focus only on “price fluctuations and liquidity,” and instead should study “technological infrastructure and security protocols” when evaluating new crypto projects.

Both pieces emphasize that advisors must assess governance and long-term sustainability rather than relying on technical analysis alone, with Zamin.uz saying “technical analysis alone is not enough to create a successful investment strategy in the crypto world.”

CoinDesk points to the GENIUS Act as a key reference point for stablecoin risk, stating that “The GENIUS Act was signed into law on July 18, 2025.”

Even after that signing, CoinDesk says “to date, stablecoins remain regulated under the old regime,” while also describing how GENIUS will introduce “cross-agency federal oversight.”

Forbes

CoinDesk adds that current stablecoins are still issued using “state money transmitter licenses (MTLs) without dedicated federal oversight,” which it says will change the risk profile once GENIUS takes effect.

In parallel, CoinDesk’s due diligence checklist ties regulatory uncertainty to client communication, warning that “Advisors should not overpromise certainty” as legislation and enforcement posture evolve.

CoinDesk’s 2026 due diligence agenda also centers on accountability when AI intersects with crypto execution, asking “Who is accountable when an agentic workflow touches client data or transaction execution?”

“You’re readingCrypto for Advisors, CoinDesk’s weekly newsletter that unpacks digital assets for financial advisors”

CoinDesk

It further warns that “validation, liability and programmable compliance remain unsettled,” and says advisors should cover priorities including security, validation and controls, and privacy.

TRM Labs’ compliance guide grounds that concern in a law-enforcement case, describing how the U.S. Secret Service launched an undercover investigation in the fall of 2022 involving a money-laundering syndicate using virtual currencies.

TRM Labs says the operation uncovered “more than 60 fictitious accounts” and “more than 150 victims,” illustrating how criminals can combine “wire transfers and cryptocurrencies, but also checks and credit cards” in a single scheme.