Charlie Shrem’s Crypto Investor Network: Legit Altcoin Picks?

Hi, and welcome to my review of the Crypto Investor Network.

I stumbled across this service through a video presentation on the InvestorPlace website called “The Awakening” Event, featuring Charlie Shrem and Matt McCall.

According to the presentation, some of the most powerful organizations, billionaire investors, and countries are preparing for a “mass awakening” event that “could drive the price of bitcoin and several other select cryptocurrencies to new heights.”

Charlie Shrem, one of the earliest adopters of bitcoin, says that blockchain technology will change everything from finance and healthcare to transport and eCommerce. And that the best way to profit is with altcoins (alternative cryptocurrencies to bitcoin).

He says you need to know which altcoins to buy, though, or you could end up losing money. And that this is where his service, Crypto Investor Network, can help. For $99, subscribers get Charlie and Matt’s latest research on crypto, along with their top altcoin picks.

Is it legit?

I don’t believe The Crypto Investor Network is a scam. And it is possible to make money with altcoins, potentially a lot of money. However, there are very high levels of risk involved with this type of investing, and it’s easy to lose money in both the short and long term.

In this post, I’ll show you everything you need to know before joining.

I’ll share my thoughts on the “awakening” event, the service they’re offering, the folks behind this, and explain some of the pros and cons to consider.

The Crypto Investor Network Pitch (Awakening Event)

The Awakening Event is a video presentation on the InvestorPlace website featuring Charlie Shrem and Matt McCall, and it’s hosted by Lauren Sivan.

According to the presentation:

The World’s Most Powerful Organizations… Billionaire Investors and Entrepreneurs… And Virtually Every Country on Earth Are Preparing for the Most Anticipated Event in Modern History Called… “The Awakening”

Source: details.investorplace.com/fhyki2kfx1nm2b67

The presentation kicks off with Lauren introducing Matt and Charlie and basically states that both of these guys are big deals in the crypto and investing space.

She talks about how “legendary crypto investor Matt McCall” has recommended both stocks and cryptos that have provided quadruple-digit gains for subscribers.

And how Charlie Shrem is “arguably the most influential person in cryptocurrencies” so “when Charlie speaks, the crypto world listens.”

Charlie then proceeds to talk about how he was one of the very first adopters of bitcoin. He says he was a computer programmer at the time and was one of the earliest people to read Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin white paper, which was released in 2008.

And that he was mining bitcoin when it was just $21 back in 2012. So he’s no doubt an expert in the space and has done quite well for himself.

Matt McCall is not as well known in the crypto space, but he is a prominent part of the InvestorPlace team and is a renowned stock analyst. His most popular service is called “Investment Opportunities,” which focuses on stock and ETF recommendations.

In any case, both Charlie Shrem and Matt McCall have teamed up for the Awakening Event presentation, and both contribute to the Crypto Investor Network service.

What is the “awakening” event all about?

The Awakening Event presentation is a pitch for the Crypto Investor Network service. The actual “awakening event” Charlie is referring to, however, is all about altcoins.

More specifically, it’s about how Charlie believes altcoins are on the cusp of mainstream acceptance due to the increasing adoption of blockchain technology. And that an event is coming where people will rush into crypto, pushing prices up as a result.

In Charlie’s own words:

When people wake up to the fact that altcoins aren’t fantasy internet money — or a wannabe version of bitcoin — there will be an enormous rush into this asset class… It will be like a mass awakening… This will lead to mainstream acceptance of altcoins as a serious investment vehicle…

But what exactly is bitcoin? What are altcoins? And what is a blockchain?

All of these terms can cause confusion, and there are some significant differences between them. So before we move on, let’s take a look at what these mean:

• Bitcoin: Some refer to bitcoin as a cryptocurrency, others refer to it as a store of value, or digital gold. Either way, it’s a digital asset that operates as a medium of exchange on a cryptographically secured, open-source, decentralized, monetary network.
• Altcoin: This is a term used to describe an “alternative cryptocurrency” to bitcoin. There are thousands of altcoins in existence, but some of the more popular are Ethereum, Ripple, Cardano and Dogecoin.
• Blockchain: A blockchain is a type of database used for storing information in blocks that are “chained” together in chronological order. Bitcoin uses its own, decentralized, blockchain. So the database isn’t stored in any one location or controlled by any one person.

There are different types of blockchains out there, too, with other use cases, and many altcoins use their own blockchain. There are even examples of regular companies using their own private blockchain to improve their operations.

For example, Walmart is working with IBM on a food safety blockchain solution to make their supply chain process more transparent and traceable.

If you’re unfamiliar with bitcoin, altcoins, and blockchain technology, it would be easy to get confused by all of this. It’s a complex topic.

But to sum it up…

Satoshi Nakamoto devised the first-ever blockchain database with the invention of bitcoin. And in my opinion, bitcoin’s blockchain is the best example of a blockchain in existence for numerous reasons (e.g., its decentralized nature, network effects, and security).

However, altcoin projects also use blockchain technology, and some companies use this technology to help them run a more secure, transparent business. These altcoins and companies essentially use their own version of the blockchain, separate from bitcoin.

In any case, Charlie says blockchain technology is “the next great transformational technology platform” and likens it to the invention of electricity, computers, the internet, and smartphones.

He says it’s a technological revolution that is going to change everything.

From credit cards, real estate, and energy to eCommerce, electric vehicles, and healthcare. He even says it will change the way we vote in the coming years.

There is a genuine (and growing) need for more security and transparency in the products and services we interact with daily. And it’s possible that the use of private blockchains could help companies meet some of these challenges.

But does that mean you should rush out and buy altcoins?

Not necessarily.

Just because the adoption of blockchain technology itself is growing doesn’t mean altcoins are a good investment.

Because even though you may be investing in a blockchain-based project when you buy an altcoin, there are no guarantees that that individual project will succeed or that the price of the “token” you’ve put money into that represents that project will go up.

There are countless examples of pump and dump scams in the cryptocurrency space, and many people have lost significant portions of their wealth betting on them.

At the same time, there are examples of people who have made millions of dollars buying altcoins early before the price ran up. So it is possible to make money.

And according to Matt and Charlie, their Crypto Investor Network service can help educate you on which altcoins to invest in so that you can potentially benefit from the “blockchain awakening” as a “new wave of crypto millionaires” are created over the next few months.

They say they know about four altcoins that are “about to soar,” and they detail these in a report titled “The 4 Altcoins to Buy NOW for 1,000% and Beyond,” which you get access to if you join.

In the next section, we’ll take a look at the service, what’s included, and how it works, so you have a better idea of what to expect if you decide to join.

What Is Crypto Investor Network?

Crypto Investor Network is a cryptocurrency research service headed up by Charlie Shrem and Matt McCall of InvestorPlace.

According to the InvestorPlace website, the goal of the service is to “help everyday folks understand what is happening and to learn how to capitalize on the coming revolution.”

And each month, members get access to “incredible stories, research, and investing opportunities unfolding throughout the blockchain and cryptocurrency world” from Matt and Charlie.

Put differently; it’s a membership site that gives you altcoin recommendations.

As a member, you get access to the “model portfolio,” which contains all of Matt and Charlie’s latest altcoin picks, as well as a bonus report titled “Four Altcoins to Buy Now for 1,000% and Beyond,” which details the altcoins mentioned in the Awakening Event pitch.

They also provide you with monthly recommendations of new altcoins and blockchain-related investment opportunities they’re recommending. As well as two other reports, The Altcoin Millionaire’s Playbook and Altcoin Investing for Beginners.

How much does it cost to join?

The cost of joining Crypto Investor Network is $99 for 12 months.

And the InvestorPlace website has a 90-day money-back guarantee in place. So if you join the service and decide it’s not for you, they will refund you and let you keep the three reports I just mentioned.

Who’s Behind Crypto Investor Network?

Charlie Shrem and Matt McCall are the main contributors of The Crypto Investor Network, and the company behind the service is InvestorPlace.

InvestorPlace is a popular financial publishing company that provides free and paid education in trading and investing.

InvestorPlace is a legitimate company, and they work with a range of investing gurus that contribute to the services they sell. Some of the more popular ones are Louis Navellier (Growth Investor), Eric Fry (Fry’s Investment Report), and Matt McCall (Investment Opportunities).

What about Charlie and Matt? Are they the real deal?

Charlie Shrem

As mentioned at the outset, Charlie Shrem was one of the early adopters of bitcoin. He started investing in bitcoin in 2011 and was mining it when it costs less than $21 per coin.

Which is remarkable considering the current price of bitcoin.

According to the InvestorPlace website, he was working as a computer programmer in a business he’d started when he first heard of bitcoin. He says he was one of the first to see the bitcoin white paper and “decided right there and then to dedicate my life to the bitcoin movement.”

According to this article on Investopedia, Charlie lost his bitcoin when his storage service crashed, which was partly why he started a service called BitInstant with his friend, to help people convert their money into bitcoin.

Apparently, it was a huge success, accounting for roughly 30% of bitcoin transactions at the time, before later closing down in 2013.

These days, he hosts a podcast called Untold Stories and runs a site called Crypto IQ, aimed at helping people learn about the world of cryptocurrency.

Matt McCall

Matt McCall is better known for his investment insights on more traditional assets like stocks, bonds, ETFs, and commodities, for example. Which he provides through services like Investment Opportunities and Early Stage Investor on the InvestorPlace website.

That said, he does run one service called Ultimate Crypto, where he recommended subscribers to buy bitcoin when it was priced at just $643. So I think that’s a real credit to him.

Before working with InvestorPlace, Matt worked as a stockbroker for Charles Schwab before becoming the Chief Technical Analyst and co-host for a national radio show called Winning on Wall Street.

He’s also the founder of an investment advisory firm called Penn Financial Group, which he launched in 2004, and a financial publishing company called Point B Publishing.

On top of that, he’s a best-selling author and speaks to thousands of investors around the world each year. So he’s quite a well-known and respected investing guru.

Update (April 4, 2022): Matt McCall no longer works with InvestorPlace. Instead, he shares his research and stock picks over at Stansberry Research. His flagship service is now a Stansberry Research advisory called The McCall Report. And I wrote about his latest stock market predictions in this post.

Is the Crypto Investor Network Legit?

I’m not an advocate for investing in altcoins; however, I don’t believe The Crypto Investor Network is a scam. It’s a real service provided by InvestorPlace, one of the most well-known financial publishing companies in the world, and they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee.

Not to mention, Matt McCall is a genuine investment expert, and Charlie Shrem is experienced in investing in cryptocurrency projects. And it is possible to make money investing in altcoins. If you manage to choose the right token and get in early enough, there is profit potential.

That said, there are some pump and dump scams in the altcoin space, particularly among the smaller cryptocurrencies. So caution is needed when it comes to crypto.

There are thousands of altcoin projects that have come and gone since bitcoin first launched in 2009. What these scammers do is create an altcoin, “pump” up the price using hype and false claims, and “dump” their holdings once enough suckers have bought in.

In the process, they make themselves rich, while everyday investors lose money. And there’s often no way to get your money back with these types of scams.

This doesn’t mean that the Crypto Investor Network itself is a scam. It’s not. But I did think it was worth mentioning some of the risks involved in the altcoin space in general.

Are Altcoins Really The Next Big Thing?

During the presentation, Matt McCall made a couple of points about altcoins that I wanted to address because I think it may help give you more clarity on altcoins.

First, he more or less states that you need to invest in altcoins to take advantage of the massive opportunity that blockchain technology represents:

The only way you can have direct ownership in this groundbreaking technology is through altcoins.

But here’s the thing… bitcoin’s blockchain is the largest and most widely adopted blockchain in the world. And anyone can be part of it and benefit from it as adoption continues to grow around the globe.

It might not be the “hot” thing to invest in compared to some of the “shiny” altcoin projects out there, but in my opinion, it’s the most groundbreaking innovation on the planet.

That said, full disclosure, I own some bitcoin.

So you should probably assume I’m biased. And to be clear, I’m not making any recommendations about what you should or shouldn’t invest in. So please don’t consider anything on this page to be financial advice. It’s not.

Anyway, another point I want to make is that there is a big difference between owning altcoins and bitcoin. With certain altcoins, it’s more like owning shares in a company. Whereas with bitcoin, no one person or group of people owns the network.

And the reason for this is because some altcoins use “proof of stake” to verify transactions, whereas Bitcoin uses “proof of work.”

What does that mean?

In short, proof of stake gives more control of the network (and its future) to those who hold the most coins. It’s kind of like being a shareholder… where the more shares you own, the more say you have over the decisions the company executives make.

Bitcoin, on the other hand, uses proof of work to verify transactions on the network. And there’s a good reason for this – even though it uses more power, it allows bitcoin to be completely decentralized. So it’s not owned or controlled by any one person or group of people.

That’s the great thing about bitcoin – it’s not owned or controlled by anyone.

Bitcoin uses open source code on a decentralized blockchain distributed across thousands of individual nodes (computers) around the globe. It’s a beautiful thing.

On the other hand, most altcoin projects are run by one or more people, give more control of the network to those with more resources, and are often run on centralized web servers.

So, to sum up my first point… yes, you absolutely can benefit from the increasing adoption of blockchain technology without ever touching an altcoin.

The second point I want to make has to do with Matt’s comment that altcoins are going to be so much bigger than bitcoin:

These altcoins are not a currency in the traditional sense, and this story is SO much bigger than bitcoin.

I couldn’t disagree more with that statement.

There’s an enormous amount of innovation taking place on the bitcoin network.

Bitcoin itself is seen by many in the space as the secure base layer, and there are many “second layer” technologies being built on top of it.

Take the Lightning Network, for example.

This “layer two” tech lowers transaction costs, increases transaction speeds, and decreases energy usage significantly. And countries are even adopting bitcoin because of it.

For example, El Salvador recently made bitcoin legal tender, which was made possible with the Lightning Network because it makes bitcoin payments quicker and cheaper.

So my point is, it could be a costly mistake to assume you’ve missed the boat just because the price of bitcoin is high. In my opinion, we are still VERY early.

Unfortunately, many people who are new to the crypto space miss this because bitcoin is often perceived as “old news.” When that couldn’t be further from the truth. Then they see the low price of altcoins and believe that that’s where the “next big opportunity” is.

Don’t get me wrong, investing in bitcoin can be risky too. All investments carry risk. But I believe bitcoin is a far superior asset to any altcoin out there and that we are still very early.

So whatever you decide to do regarding the Crypto Investor Network, I encourage you to do your own research on bitcoin. And while there are many great resources out there, one of the most helpful is the following Youtube video with Robert Breedlove and Preston Pysh.

It’s well worth the watch:

Bottom Line

The Crypto Investor Network is a monthly advisory service specializing in altcoins and opportunities surrounding “blockchain technology” companies.

As a member, you get access to research and recommendations from Charlie Shrem and Matt McCall, aimed at helping you make money as a self-directed investor.

On the one hand, the service may suit those who want to learn about some of the opportunities Charlie and Matt discuss and potentially make money from the investments they recommend.

On the other hand, while there are risks involved with any investment, in my opinion investing in altcoins can be particularly risky. So even though you could make lots of money quickly, you could also lose lots of money quickly.

In any case, what you decide to do is up to you. But hopefully, what I’ve shared helps you make a more informed decision about what’s right for you. And if you want to share your thoughts or experience with the service, feel free to drop a comment below.