Maryann Bullion is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Bitcoin IRA, the first 24/7 retirement solution that allows customers to invest in cryptocurrencies within their IRAs. At Bitcoin IRA, Maryann and her team handle a wide range of complex legal issues and run a comprehensive compliance program. I welcome her to this week’s episode to talk about Bitcoin IRA, how it helps its clients, and how her professional background prepared her for her current position. See more +

Maryann Bullion is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Bitcoin IRA, the first 24/7 retirement solution that allows customers to invest in cryptocurrencies within their IRAs. At Bitcoin IRA, Maryann and her team handle a wide range of complex legal issues and run a comprehensive compliance program. I welcome her to this week’s episode to talk about Bitcoin IRA, how it helps its clients, and how her professional background prepared her for her current position.

Maryann’s Unique Professional Background

Fulfilling a childhood dream, Maryann joined the US Army in 2009, serving in the Judge Advocates General’s Corps (JAG Corps). She was a reservist in the military and worked full-time at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). I asked her how her stint in the army influenced her career. She highlights one of her favorite training activities where they would run an obstacle course with their weapons and stop periodically to answer legal questions. “It sounds kind of funny, but in real life, these are some of the questions you’ll be asked as an attorney out on the field,”. While at the FDIC, Maryann worked in the professional liability and crime section, which advised the receivership section. She later moved to the DC area, where she worked in the financial crimes unit; she worked with law enforcement to bring bank employees who committed mortgage fraud to justice. While working in this position, she was introduced to cryptocurrency.

The World of Cryptocurrency

Despite its increase in popularity over the past few years, the cryptocurrency industry is still unknown territory for many. I ask Maryann to define cryptocurrency and Bitcoin investing. She responds, “So for me, cryptocurrency is just money in a digital format protected cryptographically; cryptography is a lot of mathematical algorithms set to secure the monetary value. It exists on a blockchain, allowing it to maintain a transparent public accounting settlement process.” She explains that Bitcoin is the most recognized cryptocurrency that investors transact in. She assures me that cryptocurrency isn’t the Wild West – it follows the rules and regulations. “There are a lot of regulatory agencies in the United States, and there are a lot of good actors in the cryptocurrency world that are following those rules,” she points out.

What is Crypto IRA?

I ask Maryann to define a crypto IRA and how a consumer buys Bitcoin with a crypto IRA. Maryann briefly explains that individuals can invest in various cryptocurrencies using funds from their retirement accounts. She compares it to your average TD Ameritrade personal brokerage account, except that you invest in cryptocurrencies with a Bitcoin IRA account. She also confirms that all cryptocurrency platforms have your data security as their number one priority to defend their clients from hackers. See less -