FTX fiasco means coming consequences for crypto in Washington DC

Cointelegraph

Published Nov 20, 2022 04:47PM ET

Updated Nov 20, 2022 06:20PM ET

On Nov. 11, while the rest of the country was celebrating Veteran’s Day, Sam Bankman-Fried announced that FTX — one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by volume — had filed for bankruptcy. Lawmakers and pundits quickly latched onto the rapid disintegration of FTX to call for more regulation of the crypto industry. “The most recent news further underscores these concerns [about consumer harm] and highlights why prudent regulation of cryptocurrencies is indeed needed,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

It remains unclear what exactly transpired at FTX. Reports indicating that between $1 billion and $2 billion of customer funds are unaccounted for are deeply troubling. Widespread consumer harm and indications of corporate impropriety only increase the likelihood that Congress will take action to regulate the crypto industry. As Congress looks toward overhauling the regulatory environment around crypto, it is important that lawmakers provide regulatory clarity without hindering positive innovation.

Luke Hogg is policy manager at the nonprofit Lincoln Network, where he focuses on the intersection of emerging technologies and public policy.

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