Cryptocurrency may not become a fully mainstream financial instrument until concrete regulations for the highly volatile industry are drawn up and enforced by authorities in the US, the chief executive of blockchain company Chainalysis has said.

While acknowledging that current cryptocurrency frameworks are “actually pretty good and functional”, the $2.33 trillion industry’s other issues need to be addressed, especially when it comes to protecting investors and consumers, Michael Gronager told The National.

The US, the world’s biggest economy that is also considered the most important financial market as the Federal Reserve sets the global tone for interest rates – should take the lead on this, he said.

“In finance, everyone looks towards to the US first trying to figure out what’s going on, and then whether the regulation has already been created in other places first … it’ll be changed to adapt the US framework once it’s figured out,” Mr Gronager said.

“We’ve seen that in the past; we’ll see that again with crypto. So, we are kind of waiting for the US to solve some of these things and that’s where things stand today.”

The US granted the cryptocurrency sector a major victory in January when it finally approved the country’s first spot Bitcoin ETFs, clearing the way for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the Cboe Global Markets and the Nasdaq Composite, and making Bitcoin more accessible to retail traders.

ETFs “definitely boosted the sentiment of crypto”, Mr Gronager said.

In addition, US authorities have been vigilant in clamping down on the sector, running after irregularities and illicit activity within the ranks.

Their actions have claimed some of the biggest names, including Sam Bankman-Fried, the former chief executive of FTX who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud, and former Binance chief executive Changpeng Zhao, who in November pled guilty to charges related to money laundering and was handed a four-month prison sentence on April 30.

“The FTX case was so unique; it was less tied to crypto and more tied to a traditional fall because everything happened behind closed doors, and was related to how that company was run by the people behind it,” Mr Gronager said.

“The lesson learned by the industry and regulators is that if it’s a non-regulated business in your jurisdiction and you don’t have any ways to think that your funds would be good, they’re probably not good,” he added, also noting the collapses of Three Arrows and Celsius Network in 2022.

The fates of those companies, coupled with job losses at the time, triggered the so-called cryptocurrency winter, a period in which the sector cooled down, dragging Bitcoin to below its key $20,000 psychological level in June 2022 and wiping out about $2 trillion from the digital asset industry’s market capitalisation.

“Celsius and Three Arrows were the symptoms of a way too hot finance market. And the newest kids in finance were the crypto exchanges and some crypto projects – they were definitely the ones who overleveraged completely,” Mr Gronager said.

“And some of them did it in an illegal way. And that was basically what we saw there. We also saw established venture capital firms over-leveraging their investments and getting in big trouble, but most of them actually survived it.”

For the broader finance industry, Mr Gronager believes there is a “solid and pretty good framework” that tackles money laundering and terrorist financing.

Applied to the cryptocurrency sector, the $4.3 billion settlement between Binance and the US Department of Justice last November is an indication that authorities have taken a stance and this is being taken very seriously.

“We had all the big banks … each getting billion-dollar fines; now you’re seeing the same in the crypto space and that raises the bar, ensures compliance will be high priority, and a good understanding and responsibility of the industry,” Mr Gronager said.

Among the most notable fines imposed on financial institutions for compliance failures are JP Morgan Chase’s $2.6 billion settlement in the aftermath of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme in 2014 and Credit Suisse’s $5.28 billion payment in 2017 for misconduct on sales of residential mortgage-backed securities.

“There’s now a price on not doing compliance or making mistakes.”

Regulations are key to establishing trust in the cryptocurrency industry, and governments should play an active role in ensuring this, said Mr Gronager, who counts the UAE as among “the top three to five in terms of the global landscape” of finance and cryptocurrency, as well.

He said the Emirates has had “a good way of working with the [crypto] industry, ensuring that there’s adequate regulation”, at par with other global financial centres such as New York, London and Singapore.

The total value of cryptocurrency transactions in the UAE from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024 hit $39.2 billion, data provided by Chainalysis to The National shows.

Institutional investors, those who invest more than $1 million, made up the biggest chunk of UAE transactions with 59 per cent, while professional investors ($10,000 to $1 million) were at 39 per cent and retail investors (up to $10,000) were at 2 per cent, the data showed.

“The UAE, in general, is very advanced and sophisticated in [cryptocurrency] use cases and is probably one of the few markets where decentralised finance is more relevant than centralised exchanges, demonstrating that the level of sophistication is pretty high,” Mr Gronager said.

Updated: May 16, 2024, 3:00 AM

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Media Contact
Company Name: Decyfin
Email:Send Email [https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=decyfin-unveils-assetbacked-cryptocurrency-offering-enhanced-security-and-transparency]
Country: United States
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This release was published on openPR.

Crypto trader Intuitio declared the current market downturn a “bear trap,” comparing it to the 2021 summer bear trap while noting the stronger positions of Bitcoin BTC/USD and Ethereum ETH/USD this time around.

What Happened: Intuitio asserts that the present summer bear trap closely mirrors that of 2021. He points out that the bear trap in 2021 spanned from mid-April to mid-July, lasting three months. He adds that currently, we are two months into a similar bear trap.

A significant observation is the pattern in altcoin performance. In 2021, most altcoins dropped by 60-70%, while now they are down about 60%. However, the strength of Bitcoin and Ethereum sets the current scenario apart. In 2021, Bitcoin fell by 55%, but it is now only down 20%. Similarly, Ethereum declined by 65% in 2021 but is only down 30% now.

Intuitio attributes this relative strength to the influence of cryptocurrency ETFs, which have bolstered the two leading cryptocurrencies. He states this as “an amazing sign of strength.”

Reflecting on the aftermath of the 2021 bear trap, where quality altcoins surged 10x from their lows, Intuitio believes a similar rebound is imminent. “Bottom is very close. We are going to pump very soon. And yes, ETH will lift the whole market,” he asserts.

However, he emphasizes that not all assets will perform equally, with some pumping more than others.

Also Read: Crypto Expert Reveals How To Find ‘High-Risk High Reward’ Meme Coins

Why It Matters: Intuitio advises investors to remain focused and strategic, particularly on the fastest meme and AI coins, recommending concentrated bets on a maximum of four coins with big longs. He stresses the importance of the next six months, describing them as crucial for building significant positions in the market.

The trader suggests holding your ground, staying observant, and preparing for a surge in the crypto market. As he puts it, “Hold up your head and keep grinding,” signaling that those who navigate wisely through this bear trap will emerge stronger in the impending market upswing.

However, Former Wall Street Macro Trader Wizard Of SoHo has a different viewpoint on this. He states that it would be the biggest mistake to compare this cycle to 2021. He adds, “That cycle had trillions in stimulus and zero rates injected into the economy. This cycle has had zero new money injection.”

What’s Next: The influence of Bitcoin as an institutional asset class is expected to be thoroughly explored at Benzinga’s upcoming Future of Digital Assets event on Nov. 19.

Read Next: Trader Nets A 553X Return With Meme Coin Of ‘The Most Memeable Cat On The Internet’

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Image created using artificial intelligence with Midjourney.