Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
You can never do too much to protect your investment in the cryptocurrency market. It’s not just the volatility that investors have to get comfortable with — there are also the nefarious actors that flock to crypto as they do to any place where there are people to be scammed and valuables to be stolen.
Serious crypto investors know how to protect their assets from theft with self-custody devices. The Crypto Merchant is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, stores in the United States. Recently, it’s spread across the northern border and the Atlantic to establish a physical presence in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Mark Venables is a trans-Atlantic entrepreneur who’s been the architect of the past few years of successes for the Crypto Merchant. “I bought the company in 2021 after the previous owner had reached a 500% growth without marketing,” he explains. “I tried to improve its marketing and introduce more products, and the company went from being a million-dollar company to a $10 million company.”
Like many other businesses in the crypto space, The Crypto Merchant’s success followed the ebb and flow of the crypto market itself. But nothing was able to stand in the way of Mark’s determination to provide the best possible products to the customers who desperately needed them — even if they didn’t know it.
“Out of 200 million people with crypto, only 10% have a cold wallet,” Mark explains. “When you take crypto online, it’s at risk. Exchanges have gone bankrupt, and people have lost millions. You could lose your life savings. A $35 cold wallet can protect you.”
Originally from the United Kingdom, Mark began visiting the United States, specifically Florida, when he was a kid. He moved to the United States in 2001, eventually acquiring a staffing agency and a background screening business. He invests in real estate in the UK through a joint venture with his siblings, and he’s got a couple of ecommerce projects running.
With the Crypto Merchant, he has aimed to demystify and educate people about the crypto space. Even among the people who are in the know, misconceptions abound. “A lot of the old-school crypto guys would say only ever buy from the manufacturer,” Mark says. “But actually, you should buy only from the manufacturer or an authorized reseller.”
It’s not just about ensuring those who invest in crypto know the proper ways to protect themselves. The general public also needs to learn more about it, and Mark has been on a mission to put the goings on in the industry in the proper context.
“Crypto has a bit of a bad rep. Payment processors won’t process my payments because I have something to do with crypto,” says Mark. “Ironically, they say it’s because of security because of the amount of fraud and crime committed with crypto, which is complete nonsense because cash is used for this more than anything else.”
Ultimately, it’s all about ensuring people are informed about their choices and the best ways to protect their assets. Through The Crypto Merchant, they can choose from an array of self-custody devices that vary in price, complexity, and features — there’s something in there for everyone, Mark would say.
