Governments are looking into regulating the currently decentralized cryptocurrency space, and that’s a good thing for the market.
So said Fortune senior writer Jen Wieczner.
“I think it’s going to be very good for prices, because you’re going to allow for investment in big companies that have already embraced regulations,” she said in an interview with Cheddar Friday. “I think you have a lot of investors now, especially institutional investors, who are waiting on the sidelines, because they don’t want to be involved in a scam or their compliance department don’t allow them to.”
Mexico was the latest to crack down on money laundering and illegal activities in cryptocurrency. Reuters reported the proposed legislation, which is waiting for approval from President Enrique Peña Nieto, will regulate fintech and promote financial stability in cryptocurrency.
Similarly, the SEC launched a probe into the operations of American tech companies handling crypto this week. The Wall Street Journal reported that the watchdog is looking into the process of Initial Coin Offerings, trying to weigh whether firms have been violating securities laws.
Wieczner said that some companies will not stand up to the scrutiny.
“For some of them, regulation is likely going to completely knock them out,” she said.
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