Britannica Money (2024)

The current state of cryptocurrency regulations is both opaque and rapidly changing. If you’re a cryptocurrency investor, it’s important to understand the existing crypto rules and stay alert to what may be on the horizon.

Keep reading to get the latest scoop on cryptocurrency regulation.

What is regulation for cryptocurrency?

Regulations for crypto are the legal and procedural frameworks that governments enact to shape many different aspects of digital assets. Cryptocurrency regulations across jurisdictions can range from detailed rules designed to support blockchain users to outright bans on the trading or use of cryptocurrencies.

Digital asset regulations may address how digital money is created, bought, sold, and traded. Exactly how digital assets integrate with existing financial systems can also be directed by lawmakers or government agencies.

Substantial and clear regulations are necessary for cryptocurrencies to flourish and achieve mass adoption. Here’s what a high-quality regulatory framework can accomplish for the cryptocurrency sector:

• Provide investor protections against market manipulations and crypto scams.
• Ensure that investors always receive necessary and accurate information.
• Deter illicit activities like money laundering and terrorism financing.
• Provide clarity about cryptocurrency tax rules.
• Drive increased market participation by boosting investor confidence.
• Encourage companies to innovate with blockchain technology.
• Facilitate interoperability among blockchains.
• Reduce systemic risk with enhanced industry oversight.
• Promote inclusion by making cryptocurrencies accessible to more people.

How is crypto regulated in the U.S.?

The regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency in the U.S. is not well defined, and it evolves constantly. Different federal agencies treat digital assets differently based on their own assessments of crypto’s characteristics. Lawmakers may weigh in, too, and states can establish their own rules.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each have unique interpretations of cryptocurrencies:

• SEC: Cryptocurrencies are securities. The SEC wants to classify digital assets as securities. The agency is concerned with investor protection, and requires that all offerings that qualify as “investment contracts” be formally registered. The SEC in 2023 is taking an approach of regulation by enforcement, filing major lawsuits against companies like Coinbase. In 2024, the SEC approved 11 spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
• CFTC: Cryptocurrencies are commodities. The CFTC argues that cryptocurrencies are commodities, akin to oil or gold. The agency defines commodities as assets that can support futures contracts, and it already regulates an active market for cryptocurrency futures. The agency has initiated enforcement actions against unregistered Bitcoin futures exchanges.
• IRS: Cryptocurrencies are property. The IRS classifies digital assets as property. Categorizing digital assets in this way means that every sale, trade, or purchase using cryptocurrency is potentially taxable, and capital gains tax rates apply. The IRS began treating crypto assets as property in 2014.

Global rules and regulations for cryptocurrency

Countries around the world have a wide range of rules for digital currencies. Here are some of the countries that are leading the way for crypto regulation:

• Canada. The United States’ neighbor to the north regulates crypto trading platforms by requiring registration with provincial agencies. Crypto investment firms are classified money service businesses, and crypto is taxed like other commodities. Canada permits cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds to operate on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
• United Kingdom. The UK regulates digital asset companies, but generally does not make rules for cryptocurrencies themselves. The Financial Conduct Authority ensures that crypto companies follow best practices to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing, while the Advertising Standards Authority aims to regulate cryptocurrency advertising. The United Kingdom treats crypto as a capital asset for tax purposes.
• Switzerland. This Nordic country takes a notably progressive approach to regulating cryptocurrency. Lawmakers in 2020 passed a law on distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), introducing the concept of “DLT securities” and enabling tokenization for rights, claims, and financial instruments. Taxpayers in Switzerland may owe income tax or the wealth tax on their crypto holdings.
• El Salvador. This Central American nation stands out for being the only country to declare Bitcoin as legal tender. Bitcoin can be used nationwide; in fact, its acceptance by merchants is compulsory. El Salvador accepts tax payments in Bitcoin and exempts foreigners from paying any taxes on income from their Bitcoin gains.

Risks of regulating digital assets

Many participants in the cryptocurrency industry are strong advocates for increased oversight—but that doesn’t mean regulating crypto comes without drawbacks. Key risks include:

• Regulation can restrict market access. Enhanced crypto regulation can lead to some investors having limited access to cryptocurrencies or other digital assets.
• Crypto rules can stifle innovation. Stringent rules and compliance requirements can slow or obstruct the pace of blockchain innovation.
• Regulation can create jurisdictional enforcement challenges. If every lawmaking body and government agency sets its own crypto policies, enforcing all those regulations may become extremely complex.
• Crypto regulations can increase the cost of doing business. Adhering to crypto rules may mean spending money on additional infrastructure or time-consuming compliance processes.
• Crypto laws create an obligation to stay informed about rule changes. Participants in the crypto sector need to understand the current rules, plus stay alert for policy changes.
• More rules can mean a greater impact on crypto’s financial performance. Extensive regulations governing the cryptocurrency industry may be more likely to affect the financial performance of digital assets.

The bottom line

Cryptocurrency regulation is a good thing. It can boost investor protections, deter illegal activity, and encourage mass adoption of digital assets. What’s not great is a lack of regulatory clarity, complex rules, and regulation by enforcement. Stay tuned as the industry matures and policy frameworks, inevitably, continue to change.