The dawn of digital finance has seen the rise of a new asset class – cryptocurrencies, challenging traditional financial norms and regulations. However, their volatility, speculative nature, and potential for misuse have necessitated regulatory oversight by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC, a body traditionally responsible for securities oversight, has found itself at the center of this new financial frontier. But does it fit the bill? Crypto operates on technology fundamentally different from conventional finance. It is a digital asset secured by cryptography, and built on blockchain technology – a decentralized, distributed ledger. Unlike traditional currencies, cryptocurrencies are not controlled by a central authority like a government or a central bank. Bitcoin, the first and most popular crypto, introduced this groundbreaking technology, and thousands of “altcoins” have since followed. The decentralization and lack of central control are not just technological quirks. They are integral to the very ethos of cryptocurrencies – the idea of a democratized financial system. However, these very features pose challenges for regulatory bodies like the SEC.
Full critique : The US Securities and Exchange Commission Is Unfit to Regulate Crypto.
