US President Joe Biden’s administration urged Congress to pass laws that will clarify how cryptoassets should be regulated amid increasing fears of a global recession.
The group of financial regulators comprising the US Financial Stability Oversight Council issued a report on Monday, calling on politicians to reach an agreement on crypto-related matters, including the way in which it is sold on the spot market.
The report follows a number of major crypto and worldwide events, including the massive collapse of the Terra/LUNA ecosystem, a number of crypto companies going bankrupt in the subsequent fallout, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Congress discussing tax rules for the stablecoin industry, as well as growing fears of a global recession.
It also comes after the week that saw stock falling due to recession fears, the Dow Jones dropping into bear territory, as well as the British pound sliding to an all-time low against the dollar.
The report titled ‘Report on Digital Asset Financial Stability Risks and Regulation’ “reviews financial stability risks and regulatory gaps posed by various types of digital assets and provides recommendations to address such risks,” said the press release.
The gaps and how to fill them
The report stated that it identified three gaps in the US crypto regulation landscape:
- the spot markets for crypto that are not securities are subject to limited direct federal regulation
- crypto businesses do not have a consistent or comprehensive regulatory framework and can engage in regulatory arbitrage
- a number of crypto asset trading platforms have proposed offering retail customers direct access to markets by vertically integrating the services provided by intermediaries such as broker-dealers or futures commission merchants
To address regulatory gaps, the Council recommended the following steps:
- the passage of legislation providing for rule making authority for federal financial regulators over the spot market for crypto assets that are not securities
- steps to address regulatory arbitrage, including coordination, legislation regarding risks posed by stable coins, legislation relating to regulators’ authorities to have visibility into, and otherwise supervise, the activities of all of the affiliates and subsidiaries of crypto asset entities, and appropriate service provider regulation
- study of potential vertical integration by crypto asset firms
- bolstering its members’ capacities related to data, analysis, monitoring, supervision, and regulation of crypto activities
Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen called the report “an important contribution” to the reports produced by the Treasury and other institutions as part of Biden’s executive order.
Yellen was quoted as saying,
“The report concludes that crypto-asset activities could pose risks to the stability of the U.S. financial system and emphasises the importance of appropriate regulation, including enforcement of existing laws. It is vital that government stakeholders collectively work to make progress on these recommendations.”
According to the Financial Times, however, those close to the congressional negotiations said they were still months away from passing legislation.
bestadmin
