Risk summary
Last updated 1 November 2026
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Because of the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this a high-risk investment. Here is what that means for you.
You could lose all the money you invest
Crypto tokens can fall in value quickly and some fall to zero. New tokens carry the most risk: some are built to take buyers' money, and their prices can collapse in minutes.
You should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong
Crypto tokens are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), and complaints about them are unlikely to be heard by the Financial Ombudsman Service. If something goes wrong, you are unlikely to get your money back.
You may not be able to sell when you want to
A token can only be sold if someone will buy it. Liquidity can disappear, and some tokens stop being sellable altogether. Take profit, stop loss and floor exits are best-effort: prices can move past your level before a sale lands.
Tokenised stocks, commodities and pre-IPO tokens
These tokens track the price of a share, a metal or a private company. They are not the share or the metal itself, and they do not give you a vote, dividends or any other shareholder rights unless their issuer says so. Pre-IPO tokens follow private valuations, can trade thinly, and the company may never list. Which of these markets you can buy depends on where you live.
Your wallet is yours alone
Ahead is self-custody. Only you can move your funds, and transactions on a blockchain cannot be reversed. If your key is lost or stolen, Ahead cannot recover your funds.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
Putting all your money into a single type of investment is risky. A good rule of thumb is to invest no more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. If you are unsure, get independent financial advice.