Ric Edelman proposes up to 40% exposure to bitcoin in investment portfolios

• Edelman suggests allocating between 10% and 40% to bitcoin depending on risk profile.
• The specialist argues that a 1% or 2% exposure is insufficient.

Wealth management specialist and founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals (DACFP), Ric Edelman, urged the financial advisory community on Monday, September 28, to increase bitcoin (BTC) exposure in their clients' portfolios, proposing an allocation of between 10% and 40%.

The recommendation took place during his speech at the Bitcoin Treasuries Conference 2026 held today in New York.

This methodological proposal directly responds to the deterioration observed in the 60/40 rule, a traditional scheme that distributes the portfolio allocating 60% of capital to corporate stocks for growth and 40% to public debt bonds for stability.

In Edelman's view, who has been repeatedly recognized as the number one independent advisor in the United States by Barron's magazine, this approach has become outdated in light of current financial demands.

Furthermore, the new strategy involves a critical review of the guidelines promoted years ago by the industry itself. Recalling that in his book The Truth About Crypto, published in 2021, he suggested a mere 1% presence, the consultant ---also the founder of Edelman Financial Engines, a firm that managed over $200 billion--- admitted that <<there has been an ironic disadvantage that we are all guilty of, including myself>>.

In this sense, the central flaw of the traditional model lies in the increasing life expectancy of the current population, a phenomenon that demands higher returns to avoid depleting the wealth accumulated during considerably longer retirement stages.

Explaining the reasons for this mismatch in portfolios, the specialist detailed that <<the 60/40 model is broken; that's what my book is about, and I maintain that the reason the 60/40 model is broken is longevity: we need to have more assets in equities and for longer periods because we are living much longer>>.

As a response to this structural insufficiency, the technical report published by the DACFP ---a reference entity for the certification of wealth advisors--- proposes a progressive segmentation based on risk tolerance. The methodology establishes that conservative portfolios incorporate 10% bitcoin, moderate ones increase to 25%, and aggressive profiles reach 40%, proportions aimed at transforming the usual practice of asset management.

At the same time, the formulation of such high ranges seeks to break the professional inertia of the managers themselves. Regarding the resistance of many advisors to update their knowledge or risk their reputation for marginal recommendations, the consultant posed a question:

If we continue to defend a 1% allocation to bitcoin, many advisors who have inertia ---or laziness, we could even call it that because they are successful and have happy clients--- might argue: 'Why should I bother presenting my client with something completely new that, by the way, is politically controversial and has a dark past from the perspective of scams, from Mt. Gox to FTX? Why should I risk the client relationship? Why should I bother learning something new for a miserable 1% allocation? It's not worth my time.

Ric Edelman, wealth management specialist.

That <> evoked by Edelman refers to the most devastating collapses in market history: the bankruptcy of the Japanese exchange Mt. Gox in 2014, as well as the multi-million dollar fraud with user funds that led to the downfall of FTX in 2022, as reported by CriptoNoticias. Both episodes sowed a persistent reputational fear among traditional wealth managers.

Therefore, the specialist focused on integrating BTC into traditional financial planning emphasized that proposing significant percentages alters the tone of the wealth debate. Delving into the impact of this stance on the industry, he noted:

If I come saying that you should have a minimum of 10% up to 40%, now it is harder to ignore the conversation. We need to increase our allocations, we need to advocate for a larger allocation. We have the math on our side. We have the market performance on our side. Now we need to move from words to action by demonstrating that a 1% or 2% allocation is totally insufficient.

Ric Edelman, wealth management specialist.

The specialist added: <<It should be at least 5% or 10%, and one could rationally argue for 10% or 20%. That is the methodology we need to focus on. This is how we will attract the attention of the advisory community and, by extension, their clients>>.