U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Gary Gensler says the way crypto exchanges are structured could work to the disadvantage of users.
In a new Bloomberg report, Gensler notes that, unlike traditional finance, cryptocurrency exchanges have not set up clear distinctions between various aspects of their service.
Since exchanges are responsible for the custody of assets, transacting on both sides of a marketplace as well as providing the venue for traders, Gensler says he’s concerned such “commingling” could be harmful to customers.
“Crypto’s got a lot of those challenges – of platforms trading ahead of their customers.
In fact, they’re trading against their customers often because they’re market-marking against their customers.”
The SEC chair also takes aim at so-called stablecoins, which aim to peg to the US dollar 1-for-1, by observing that the three largest stablecoins are all owned by crypto exchanges – namely Bitfinex’s Tether (USDT), Coinbase’s US Dollar Coin (USDC), and Binance’s Binance Coin (BUSD).
Gensler says he’s concerned the exchanges might be enabling circumvention of anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) rules in the process.
“I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Each one of the three big ones were founded by the trading platforms to facilitate trading on those platforms and potentially avoid AML and KYC.”
Yesterday, the Federal Reserve also weighed in on the risks associated with stablecoins during a lengthy and wide-ranging report about financial stability. The Fed mentions the possibility of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) fulfilling the role of stablecoins but with government rules and secure backing.
Check Price Action
Don’t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get crypto email alerts delivered directly to your inbox
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram
Surf The Daily Hodl Mix
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Featured Image: Shutterstock/Natalia Siiatovskaia
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here
Be the first to comment