Is the net closing in on Bitcoin? Global regulators ramp up the rhetoric on cryptocurrency regulation

How would new rules impact crypto investors?

There has been a flurry of political and regulatory engagement with cryptoassets in recent weeks.

On 13 January, the European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde labelled Bitcoin as a "highly speculative asset", which has been responsible for "totally reprehensible money laundering", and called for regulation to be applied and agreed upon "at a global level". Across the pond, the US Securities and Exchanges Commission flexed its muscles last December by launching enforcement action against the blockchain payments company Ripple for raising capital of $1.3bn from offering allegedly unregulated securities, leading to Ripple being delisted on several exchanges. Finally, the US T...