Financial advisors, especially independent RIAs, are getting pitched products many have traditionally avoided. In order to provide “holistic financial wellness,” they need to include things like cash management, lending, annuities and other insurance products, alternatives and cryptocurrency. A host of technology solutions are cropping up to make these products easier to access than ever.

Last week I covered a trend of new wealthtech providing access to the complex market of structured notes. This week, I dive into a startup offering self-directed investors and advisors the opportunity to invest retirement savings into cryptocurrencies and a host of alternatives ranging from fine art to real estate.

I’ll leave the debate over whether this is a good idea to others, but I’m starting to wonder where the demand for these products is really coming from. The companies say they are responding to advisor demand for more yield and downside protection as the era of low interest rates and historic market returns gets increasingly long in the tooth. But advisors I speak to don’t seem terribly interested in these products, and portfolio strategists are wary about the impact they have on consumers.

While there’s no doubt crypto continues to fascinate retail investors, a Morningstar study showed few are interested in putting the assets in their retirement accounts. I’m skeptical many are clamoring to move their checking account to their financial advisor, or for structured notes.

The real demand could be coming from the product manufacturers themselves, hoping to get in front of the growing RIA market. Structured notes issuance is booming at institutions like JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley; insurance companies are, well, insurance companies (when they aren’t becoming advice firms themselves); and we all know folks who want nothing more than the price of bitcoin to keep rising.

So are these products just a solution looking for a problem? Or are advisors and their clients really demanding them. I’d love to hear what you think.

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