FCA Decides Not to Enforce Regulation on Bitcoin

Andrew Bailey, Chief Executive of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has reached a decision not to regulate Bitcoin Bitcoin While some may still be wondering what is Bitcoin, who created Bitcoin, or how does Bitcoin work, one thing is certain: Bitcoin has changed the world.No one can remain indifferent to this revolutionary, decentralized, digital asset nor to its blockchain technology.In fact, we’ve gone a long way ever since a Florida resident Laszlo Hanyecz made BTC’s first official commercial transaction with a real company by trading 10,000 Bitcoins for 2 pizzas at his local Papa John’s.One could now argue that While some may still be wondering what is Bitcoin, who created Bitcoin, or how does Bitcoin work, one thing is certain: Bitcoin has changed the world.No one can remain indifferent to this revolutionary, decentralized, digital asset nor to its blockchain technology.In fact, we’ve gone a long way ever since a Florida resident Laszlo Hanyecz made BTC’s first official commercial transaction with a real company by trading 10,000 Bitcoins for 2 pizzas at his local Papa John’s.One could now argue that Read this Term. The decision is not indicative of the approval of investments in Bitcoin, despite the statement appearing to give off a positive sentiment regarding the cryptocurrency.

According to the BBC, Mr. Bailey and the FCA classify Bitcoin as a commodity, rather than a currency, as it is not represented by a government or a central bank of any kind. Commodities are not overseen by the FCA, and therefore setting constraints on Bitcoin would technically fall outside its legal responsibilities and jurisdiction.

In order to change the current guidelines that state which assets are overseen by the FCA, parliament would have to make changes to legislation that would grant it these responsibilities. We have already seen regulatory bodies from around the world take charge in setting restrictions around cryptocurrency trading.

Strange Commodity

Mr. Bailey’s statement provides valid points against the safety of Bitcoin as an investment. High Volatility Volatility In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, or stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Trad In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, or stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Trad Read this Term levels are the first indicator of a risky asset. Moreover, it is incredibly difficult if not impossible to gauge the driving force behind the pricing. Relative to traditional commodities, it becomes much more difficult to analyze the asset in a lengthy and rigorous manner that can yield trustworthy conclusions.

Another major difference between Bitcoin and other 'commodities' is the fact that the supply of Bitcoin is fixed. This differs from common commodities, such as cotton, soybeans, and coffee, where supply is altered on a continuous basis, due to varying growth rates and quantities supplied from around the world.

Buyer Beware

The underlying message Mr. Bailey was attempting to convey is that while the Bitcoin does not fall under the regulatory responsibility of the FCA, it is a highly volatile and unsafe investment. More specifically: “If you want to invest in Bitcoin be prepared to lose your money - that would be my serious warning.” He went on to compare investing in Bitcoin to gambling. It really does not get any clearer than that.

We have already seen the FCA issue warnings in the past, regarding the safety of trading cryptocurrency CFDs through brokers. Bailey is pouring on a very negative sentiment surrounding Bitcoin and cryptocurrency investments. However, many who have already invested in Bitcoin can clearly provide evidence of successful and prosperous deals that have yielded tremendous profits in the past.

After all, recent surges in demand have caused its price to reach new heights. It could just be that Mr. Bailey is attempting to limit the current frenzy surrounding Bitcoin, in an attempt to curb the potential devastation in the event of a future price crash. In the end, Bitcoin remains unregulated, and there is not currently a timeline for when that would change.