Breaking Down International Cryptocurrency Regulation
After a historic rise in the past year, cryptocurrency markets took a dive this past week. Why?
More and more countries have put forth regulations. Cryptocurrency’s recent founding and name recognition have made it a target for regulators. This is largely due to its potential as an unregulated and universal medium of exchange. A large part of achieving financial fluency is understanding the regulation that ties the markets down.
Meteoric growth and record-setting returns dominate headlines. It was only a matter of time before the government intervened.
So What’s New?
- China announced in September that it was banning cryptocurrency exchanges from operating domestically while prohibiting ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings).
- South Korea announced that cryptocurrency regulation will be implemented in the near future. They also hinted that it might soon completely ban the trading of digital currencies.
- Germany joined in with an announcement reiterating the imminence and necessity of cryptocurrency regulation. They emphasized the particular importance of universal, cooperative legislation across the international community.
Why does crypto regulation matter?
The foundation of cryptos’ success is its decentralized security and unregulated market. But now that all is now being called into question.
After recent announcements, Bitcoin and nearly every other major digital currency dropped by over 10%. Cryptocurrency is one of the most volatile securities in markets today; however, few headlines have had as negative of an impact on crypto price levels as this past week. Bitcoin was hovering around $14,000 for the past week. It then dipped to $11,000.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Potential regulations will force investors to decide whether regulation will legitimize the crypto market or burst the bubble. Granted, by regulating this immature market, financial regulators are admitting that the security is valid. Both Japan and Australia recognized Bitcoin ( BTC) as legal tender last April and May, respectively. With that said, aggressive regulation also simultaneously limits cryptos’ potential for widespread adoption.
Regardless of recent developments, cryptocurrency’s staying power is growing.
Consumers are wary of centralized banks. They’re skeptical of financial professionals’ own disagreement with cryptocurrency’s potential and are actively endorsing a transparent, decentralized, and unregulated market.
So the question remains: how will they react to regulation? So far, not well. By surrounding yourself with a greater understanding of the markets, you can continue to step closer to financial fluency.
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Originally published at https://blog.rapunzlinvestments.com on January 17, 2018.
