Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

0:00
0:00

Crypto billionaire urges clarity on industry regulation

Bitcoin Foundation chair reacts to lawsuit targeting crypto exchange Gemini

Bitcoin Foundation Chairman Brock Pierce argued on Thursday that there is a need for clarity as to which agency should regulate the cryptocurrency industry.

Pierce noted on "Mornings with Maria" that "one of the biggest concerns in this space is security vulnerability" and noted that "we are upgrading the insecure infrastructure that comprises the Internet today."

"Crypto is at the forefront of experiencing all of those pains, but as a result of that we’re going to live in a more secure future," Pierce said.

The crypto billionaire provided the insight reacting to a lawsuit against cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, following the February theft of $36 million of crypto assets in Gemini's custody belonging to retirement accounts, a news release stated.

IRA Financial, a company that provides services for self-directed retirement and pension funds, is suing Gemini, which is owned by the Winklevoss twins Cameron and Tyler, over the company’s alleged failure to prevent the hack.

IRA Financial Trust vows to use the proceeds from the lawsuit to reimburse IRA Financial customers impacted by hack, the news release stated.

The lawsuit alleges that Gemini did not have proper safeguards in place to protect the crypto assets of customers and claims that the exchange acted too slowly to prevent more money from being stolen after IRA notified Gemini.

When reached for comment, a Gemini spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "IRA Financial was hacked and is trying to deflect blame on Gemini by filing this lawsuit."

"This is not a Gemini issue and no Gemini systems were compromised," the spokesperson continued. "While we regret that some of their customers had this experience, this incident starts and stops with IRA Financial."

Pierce stressed on Thursday that there have "clearly" been "calls for increased regulation" and recent events have only further highlighted the need for "sensible regulation."

Along with the stock market, bitcoin has experienced a lot of volatility in recent weeks.


As of Thursday morning, the bitcoin was trading around the $30,000 level, down from its all-time high of over $68,000 reached in November 2021.

The crypto is down more than 34% year-to-date.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have had some rough weeks in anticipation of and following the half-point interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

It was the second of several anticipated increases this year as the central bank seeks to combat soaring inflation, which is at a high not seen in four decades.

The expectation now is that the Fed will take aggressive action to try and curb inflation, which has reduced investor appetite to hold assets perceived as higher risk.

Adding to more fears of volatility in the crypto market was the decoupling of the TerraUSD, a stablecoin whose value was tied to $1 last month. The world’s largest stablecoin by market cap, tether, also briefly edged down from its $1 peg.

Stablecoins are digital currencies with values that are pegged to traditional assets, like the dollar, another currency or gold. Its correspondence with the dollar is what, in theory, makes it stable. However, volatility in the crypto market challenged that presumption.

Pierce argued that "the implosion" of the stablecoins has "definitely" made regulation "a hot topic of discussion" and noted that he was happy to learn of "sensible regulation being proposed by people that have invested the time to know what they’re talking about."

Pierce was referencing the Responsible Financial Innovation Act, bipartisan legislation with the goal of creating a regulatory framework for digital assets that encourages financial innovation as well as consumer protections.

U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Cynthia Lummis, R- Wyo., introduced the legislation on Tuesday.

Pierce said he is "really happy to see the bill being proposed on a nonpartisan basis."

He pointed to a few "big things" in the bill, including "regulatory clarity in terms of what regulatory body should be overseeing this."

Pierce noted that several agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said regulation was "their domain."

"The reality is that cryptocurrency is built upon a database architecture called blockchain and you can build anything with the database," he said.

"But the idea of the CFTC being the regulatory body would be my pick if I had to choose one versus the confusion of everyone trying to say that this is their domain, making it difficult for investors, difficult for developers to operate with all that regulatory uncertainty."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×