On December 6, Congressman Darren Soto (Florida) along with Ted Budd (North Carolina) introduced two pieces of legislation to help prevent virtual currency price manipulation and position the United States to be a leader in the cryptocurrency industry.
The Virtual Currency Consumer Protection Act of 2018 and the U.S. Virtual Currency Market and Regulatory Competitiveness Act of 2018, will analyze what can be done to protect consumers from price manipulation and to ensure America remains a global leader in fostering innovation in this evolving global marketplace.
“Virtual currencies and the underlying blockchain technology has a profound potential to be a driver of economic growth. That’s why we must ensure that the United States is at the forefront of protecting consumers and the financial well-being of virtual currency investors, while also promoting an environment of innovation to maximize the potential of these technological advances. This bill will provide data on how Congress can best mitigate these risks while propelling development that benefits our economy,” – reads the press release.
The two bills direct the CFTC and other financial regulators to make critical recommendations for how to improve the regulatory environment for both the consumer and business development side.
The Virtual Currency Consumer Protection Act, directs the CFTC to describe aspects of how price manipulation could happen in virtual markets and then to make recommendations for regulatory changes that can improve the CFTC’s monitoring procedures in preventing price manipulation.
The U.S. Virtual Currency Market and Regulatory Competitiveness Act of 2018 directs the CFTC to conduct a comparative study of the regulation of virtual currency in other countries and then make recommendations for regulatory changes to promote competitiveness in the U.S. in the industry by providing regulatory clarity and examining alternatives for current burdensome regulations that may inhibit innovation.
For examples, this Act asks the CFTC to clarify the virtual currencies that qualify as commodities and examine the costs and benefits of a new, optional regulatory structure that could replace the current state money transmission system.
