“One-on-one coaching is an excellent space to have freeform dialogue about what's on my mind and get to the bottom of tricky questions.”
J
Jarrod Smithson
The Power of 1-on-1
Private 1-on-1 Coaching
Direct, personalized guidance from David Zimmerman and the DeFi University team. Three tiers — from foundational onboarding to institutional-grade weekly access. Education only, never financial advice.
BecomeBecomethetheDeFiDeFistrategiststrategistyouryourportfolioportfoliodeserves.deserves.
150+ students coached
2,000+ coaching hours
Self-custody always
ICF-credentialed methodology
The reality
DeFi rewards the prepared. It punishes everyone else.
The gap between aping into protocols and building a durable DeFi strategy is enormous. Most learners stall in the same places: self-custody anxiety, no risk framework, no due-diligence process, and no one to sanity-check the high-conviction trades.
Generic courses and Discord signals don't close that gap. They give you information. What you need is judgment — and judgment comes from working 1-on-1 with someone who's seen the cycles.
The methodology
A structured path from where you are to where you want to be.
01 · Diagnose
We map your current portfolio, risk exposure, and knowledge gaps into a baseline.
02 · Strategize
We build a personalized DeFi strategy and risk-parameter profile tailored to your capital and goals.
03 · Execute
Self-custody setup, position sizing, and a repeatable due-diligence process for every protocol.
04 · Compound
Weekly or bi-weekly sessions refine your edge as markets evolve. You leave with judgment, not tips.
Powered by Runway
Know your runway before you size the trade.
Hermes is your trading wingman for Hyperliquid perps — live funding, liquidation distance, and a leverage-aware risk engine in every conversation.
Plan in conversation
Talk through your thesis with Hermes before you commit size — live trade ticket, leverage-aware risk engine, multi-timeframe technicals, macro catalysts, and your track record in every thread.
See your runway
Connect any wallet. Hyperliquid positions surface with funding, liquidation distance, and live R-multiples — plus Sharpe, max drawdown, 30d PnL, and win rate on one dashboard.
Scan ranked setups
The HL idea scanner scores markets on MTF confluence, favorable funding, and catalysts. Filter, pick a setup, and open it in Hermes to debate before you size.
A journal that learns
Every plan becomes a structured entry with semantic search. When the position closes, the outcome flows back in — and Hermes remembers what worked.
Watched while you sleep
Full Hermes on Telegram — /status, /ideas, /trade, and reply to debrief. Supervision alerts, morning digest, and ranked idea pushes while you step away.
Explore Runway
Runway is advisory software for educational use. Perpetual futures involve substantial risk. Runway never holds your funds — execution uses a Turnkey-held agent key you approve on Hyperliquid.
Packages
Three tiers. Pick the access level that matches your stage.
Every tier is private 1-on-1. The difference is depth, cadence, and how much direct founder access you get.
Foundations
Lowest-risk private 1-on-1 in DeFi.
$600
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Sessions
- 2 × 45m
- Cadence
- Weekly
- Target capital
- $1K–$25K
- 2 × 45-minute private 1-on-1 strategy sessions
- Personalized DeFi strategy development
- Portfolio review & risk-parameter profile
- Self-custody setup walkthrough
- Runway onboarding — connect wallet, Hermes setup, and risk dashboard walkthrough
- Async Slack access for 4 weeks
Most Popular
Mastery
Fixed-scope portfolio review and Runway onboarding.
$1,800
Or split into 3 payments
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Sessions
- 6 × 60m
- Cadence
- Bi-weekly
- Target capital
- $25K–$100K
- Everything in Foundations
- 6 × bi-weekly 60-minute 1-on-1 analyst calls
- Personalized portfolio blueprint
- Weekly group strategy workshops
- Curated research bulletins
- Smart-contract audit checklist
- Dedicated async Slack channel
- Runway deep-dive — idea scanner, journal workflow, and Telegram wingman
Application Only
Institutional
Direct founder access. Same elite-tier cadence, one-third the price.
$7,200
Or split into 3 or 6 payments
- Duration
- 26 weeks
- Sessions
- 24 × 60m
- Cadence
- Weekly
- Target capital
- $100K+
- Everything in Mastery
- 24 × weekly 60-minute 1-on-1 sessions
- Direct founder & lead-quant access
- Custom protocol due-diligence on member-submitted tokens
- Token-gated HNWI mastermind
- Quarterly portfolio deep-dive
- Priority Runway access — extended Pro/Autopilot perks and early Hermes capabilities
- Optional in-person annual mastermind
All packages include a personalized kickoff, async support for the package duration, and Runway onboarding. Institutional clients receive priority Runway access. Educational only — not financial advice.
The Institutional advantage
Same elite-tier cadence. One-third the price.
We benchmarked the high-ticket competitors so you don't have to. Here's how Institutional stacks up.
| Feature | DeFi University Institutional | DM Elite | Yieldschool Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $7,200 | $21,000 | $18,000 |
| Sessions / cadence | 24 sessions / 6 months | 24 sessions / 6 months | 20 sessions / 6 months |
| Founder access | Direct | Limited | No |
| HNWI mastermind | Yes | Add-on | Group only |
| Due-diligence | Custom | Template | Self-serve |
What you get
Everything you need to operate like an institution.
Personalized risk-parameter profile
A documented framework for position sizing, allocation, and exit thresholds tied to your capital and time horizon.
Portfolio blueprint
Stress-test trade ideas with Hermes's leverage-aware risk engine — funding regimes, liquidation distance, and position sizing before you deploy capital.
Smart-contract audit checklist
A repeatable process for vetting any protocol before you deploy — the same checklist we use internally.
Dedicated async channel
Slack access between sessions for time-sensitive questions. No more guessing in isolation.
Client portal
Book sessions, view shared notes, download your signed contract, and track session usage.
Priority Runway access
Institutional clients get extended Pro/Autopilot perks, early Hermes capabilities, and research bulletins.
Client outcomes
What changes when you have a coach in your corner.
Real stories from clients who built judgment through private 1-on-1 coaching — not tips or signals.
Testimonials reflect individual educational experiences. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Your coach
David Zimmerman
Founder of DeFi University. David has spent the last cycle coaching serious DeFi operators from first self-custody setup to institutional-grade protocol due-diligence. His methodology is built around risk-first thinking and repeatable process — not tips, signals, or predictions.
Every Institutional client works directly with David. There is no hand-off to a junior coach.
How it works
From discovery call to first session in under a week.
- 01
Book a discovery call
Free 30-minute conversation. We assess fit, review your goals, and recommend a tier.
- 02
Choose your package
Pay via Stripe (Foundations) or apply (Mastery/Institutional). Sign the coaching agreement.
- 03
Get your portal access
Magic link in your inbox. From the portal, book your kickoff session.
- 04
Begin coaching
Weekly, bi-weekly, or one-off sessions depending on your tier, plus async support throughout.
FAQ
Common questions
- Is this financial advice?
- No. All DeFi University coaching is educational. We do not provide financial advice, investment recommendations, or portfolio management. You remain in full custody and control of your assets at all times.
- Do you custody my funds?
- Never. You retain full self-custody throughout the engagement. We guide setup of your own wallets and teach you to manage your own risk.
- What happens after I purchase?
- You'll receive a contract signing link, then a client portal magic link. From the portal you book sessions, access documents, and view notes from your coach.
- Can I get a refund?
- Foundations and Mastery offer a 14-day refund window if no sessions have been conducted. The Institutional tier is non-refundable due to its application-only, founder-access nature.
- What if I need to reschedule?
- Sessions can be rescheduled through the client portal with at least 24 hours notice. Sessions cancelled with less notice may be forfeited.
- Do you offer payment plans?
- Yes. Mastery offers 3 monthly payments. Institutional offers 3 or 6 monthly payments. Toggle the plan in the pricing section above.
Risk disclosure
DeFi University LLC provides educational services only. We do not provide financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Digital assets are volatile and you may lose your entire investment. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You are solely responsible for your own investment decisions. All coaching is delivered on a self-custody basis — we never hold or control your funds.
The next cycle won't wait.
Book a free discovery call and find out which tier fits. No pressure, no obligation — just a clear-eyed conversation about where you are and where you want to go.
