Digital Currency Group unveils wealth management subsidiary

Digital Currency Group (DCG), a cryptocurrency investment firm founded by Barry Silbert in 2015, has officially launched its long-heralded wealth management subsidiary.

Named HQ Digital, it will offer private investments, estate planning, risk mitigation and insurance, among other services, according to its website. It will complement DCG's existing slate of businesses, which includes asset manager Grayscale, trading business Genesis Global and news site CoinDesk. 

"You could think of HQ as a re-envisioned multi-family office, but we prefer to call it your delta team for optimizing life," the firm's website says.

According to LinkedIn, the wealth management unit will be helmed by Alana Ackerson. Previously, Ackerson was co-founder of Figure, the blockchain-focused fintech firm led by SoFi's former CEO Mike Cagney. Her bio reads that she is currently leading a new DCG subsidiary that will work with "the world’s preeminent crypto, blockchain, and DeFi entrepreneurs and investors." 

The Block previously reported on HQ in December 2020 where it was understood that it would serve as a conduit for Grayscale's investment products, offering clients advice on where to invest.

Digital Currency Group's CoinDesk unit competes with The Block in supplying news on crypto markets.

HQ didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the launch.

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Tom is a deals reporter at The Block covering venture capital, fundraises, fintech and M&A. Before joining, he was an editorial intern at the FT-backed platform Sifted where he reported on neobanks, payment firms and blockchain startups. You can reach him by email at [email protected] or Telegram @tommatsuda.