WEBVTT - Cautious Optimism for UK Crypto Investors

0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:05.920
<v Speaker 1>I'm Stacy Marie Ishmael, Managing editor of Crypto for Bloomberg News,

0:00:06.280 --> 0:00:09.920
<v Speaker 1>and this is Bloomberg Crypto at Daily Bloomberg I Heart Podcast.

0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:20.400
<v Speaker 1>It's Friday, June tenth. In January, the United Kingdom officially

0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:24.480
<v Speaker 1>withdrew from the European Union. The fallout from Brexit, as

0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:26.920
<v Speaker 1>we all came to know it, is still being measured

0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:31.240
<v Speaker 1>across all industries. Some analysts predict it will take years

0:00:31.280 --> 0:00:35.040
<v Speaker 1>to fully understand the impact of Brexit on the UK economy.

0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:39.199
<v Speaker 1>Brexit even affected the crypto market, especially as far as

0:00:39.240 --> 0:00:44.600
<v Speaker 1>regulations are concerned. Bloomberg reporter Emily Nicole sees cautious optimism

0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:48.519
<v Speaker 1>among investors about the UK's approach to crypto regulation. She

0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:53.440
<v Speaker 1>joins me, now, Emily, thank you so much for joining

0:00:53.520 --> 0:00:57.160
<v Speaker 1>us today. Tell our listeners a little bit more about

0:00:57.480 --> 0:01:01.080
<v Speaker 1>the frankly fascinating landscape for to regulation in the UK,

0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:03.200
<v Speaker 1>Like what what is going on and as we like

0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:04.840
<v Speaker 1>to see in the US on the other side of

0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:09.160
<v Speaker 1>the pond. I think it's one of the more complex

0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:12.319
<v Speaker 1>regulatory landscapes that we've got going so far. That may

0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:14.399
<v Speaker 1>just be my perspective because I cover it, so I

0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.160
<v Speaker 1>know what's going on, um, But it's one where we've

0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.680
<v Speaker 1>had a lot of ups and downs and definitely a

0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:22.760
<v Speaker 1>lot of different players in the mix. So at the

0:01:22.840 --> 0:01:26.600
<v Speaker 1>moment crypto is largely an unregulated space. In the UK.

0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:31.000
<v Speaker 1>We have one main financial regulator here, the Financial Conduct Authority,

0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:33.640
<v Speaker 1>and then there's obviously also the government as well that

0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:38.440
<v Speaker 1>provides some some guidance there. Um. The regulator has done

0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:41.240
<v Speaker 1>its best, I guess they would say to regulate the

0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:44.720
<v Speaker 1>crypto space, trying to provide frameworks for crypto companies in

0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:49.000
<v Speaker 1>terms of money laundering regulations um and giving them kind

0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:53.320
<v Speaker 1>of space to innovate, while also providing a somewhat firm hand.

0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:57.720
<v Speaker 1>But mostly that has amounted to just continually warning consumers

0:01:57.800 --> 0:01:59.919
<v Speaker 1>that they could lose all their money if they invest

0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:03.000
<v Speaker 1>anything in cryptocurrencies, and not so much in terms of

0:02:03.000 --> 0:02:07.200
<v Speaker 1>providing consumer protections or any recourse there for investors. So

0:02:07.240 --> 0:02:10.120
<v Speaker 1>you would consider that more on the framework of consumer

0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:14.040
<v Speaker 1>advisory rather than consumer protection. You would say, yes, for sure,

0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.640
<v Speaker 1>there's there's definitely no real option for consumers if they

0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:21.399
<v Speaker 1>lose money in crypto at the moment. There's no insurance schemes,

0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:25.880
<v Speaker 1>there's no official licensing for crypto companies. UM, So if

0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:28.720
<v Speaker 1>you're an investor in the UK in crypto, it's as

0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:32.000
<v Speaker 1>good as anywhere else pretty much. Well, I do want

0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.120
<v Speaker 1>to ask you about that, because you know, one of

0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:38.840
<v Speaker 1>the things, especially after Brexit, that seemed to be or

0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:42.079
<v Speaker 1>I say, seemed that that looked like it might be true,

0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:44.960
<v Speaker 1>was that the UK was trying to set itself up

0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:49.800
<v Speaker 1>as a hub for crypto. Right that and based on,

0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:52.799
<v Speaker 1>for example, it's previous regulatory history of being a hub

0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:58.080
<v Speaker 1>for fintech. Fintech short full financial technology refers to the

0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:03.440
<v Speaker 1>use of digital technology, are replacement enhance traditional financial services.

0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:05.720
<v Speaker 1>So are you saying that that is is or isn't

0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:09.520
<v Speaker 1>happening from your perspective, I think from from the perspective

0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:12.240
<v Speaker 1>of people I've talked to in the industry, the UK,

0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:14.799
<v Speaker 1>as you said, it was known as a fintech powerhouse.

0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:18.000
<v Speaker 1>It still is. It's definitely the part of the tech

0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:21.600
<v Speaker 1>sector here that attracts the most investment every year. Um.

0:03:21.639 --> 0:03:25.800
<v Speaker 1>But that hasn't necessarily extended itself over to crypto. Brexit

0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:28.000
<v Speaker 1>is one part of that. A lot of people thought,

0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.560
<v Speaker 1>you know, the idea of Brexit was that the UK

0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:33.480
<v Speaker 1>would get regulatory freedom from the EU will be able

0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:36.200
<v Speaker 1>to write its own rules. But actually, over the last

0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:40.160
<v Speaker 1>few years since we voted to leave in Brexit has

0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:43.200
<v Speaker 1>meant that the Financial Conduct Authority and the government have

0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:45.200
<v Speaker 1>had far too much on their plate to really even

0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:49.200
<v Speaker 1>think about crypto. So while fintech was in its earliest days,

0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.160
<v Speaker 1>they were able to pay a lot of attention to it,

0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:54.720
<v Speaker 1>considered the best way to help in industry innovate and

0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:58.240
<v Speaker 1>create new technologies while keeping everything kind of under wraps

0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:01.520
<v Speaker 1>and supervised. Um, those early years for crypto passed by

0:04:01.600 --> 0:04:06.960
<v Speaker 1>and there wasn't really much attention paid to it at all. So,

0:04:07.120 --> 0:04:08.720
<v Speaker 1>you know, in the early days of fintech, and when

0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:11.320
<v Speaker 1>we talk about that, we're talking about companies like PayPal

0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:14.640
<v Speaker 1>or online banks or you know, other folks that are

0:04:14.640 --> 0:04:18.240
<v Speaker 1>putting the finances and technology as it were. Whereas right now,

0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:21.320
<v Speaker 1>what are the some of the equivalent kinds of companies

0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:25.360
<v Speaker 1>in crypto operating in the UK that perhaps we're expecting

0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:27.240
<v Speaker 1>to have more of a sort of a friendly or

0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:32.159
<v Speaker 1>accommodative regime. So there are obviously a few companies that

0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:35.400
<v Speaker 1>would style themselves as crypto banks. Um, there are some

0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:38.320
<v Speaker 1>fintech companies in the UK that offer banking services and

0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.440
<v Speaker 1>crypto trading on the side, like Revolute Um, and actually

0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:44.320
<v Speaker 1>offering the crypto services has not been much of a

0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:46.960
<v Speaker 1>help to them when trying to get an official banking license,

0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.799
<v Speaker 1>because it's something that the regulators are still aren't comfortable

0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:51.680
<v Speaker 1>saying yes, okay, that's a part of your business that

0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:55.520
<v Speaker 1>will accept or assesss fit and proper um. I think

0:04:55.600 --> 0:05:00.720
<v Speaker 1>the area where crypto companies have mostly been over overseen

0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:04.720
<v Speaker 1>by the regulator here is um in the world of exchanges,

0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:08.800
<v Speaker 1>but specifically limited to kind of asset management or brokerage.

0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:12.160
<v Speaker 1>So earlier companies in this space, like u Toro for example,

0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:15.159
<v Speaker 1>had a digital brokerage license, which meant that they could

0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:17.760
<v Speaker 1>offer you know, stock trading, and they kind of got

0:05:17.800 --> 0:05:19.680
<v Speaker 1>in that way a bit like a robin Hood kind

0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:21.920
<v Speaker 1>of model, and when they started offering crypto on the side,

0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:24.720
<v Speaker 1>it was considered separate. But when when it came time

0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:27.560
<v Speaker 1>to start seeking guidance from the FCO over anti money

0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:29.400
<v Speaker 1>laundering rules or any of the other places that they've

0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:32.000
<v Speaker 1>started to look at in crypto, they already had that

0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:35.800
<v Speaker 1>relationship and that rapport established, which definitely helped them UM,

0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.920
<v Speaker 1>where other crypto companies got no help at all. Let's

0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:40.960
<v Speaker 1>take a moment to listen to the UK Secretary to

0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:44.279
<v Speaker 1>the Treasury, John Glenn. He was recently talking to Bloomberg

0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:47.080
<v Speaker 1>Technology about how the government in the UK is thinking

0:05:47.080 --> 0:05:51.160
<v Speaker 1>about these regulations as it relates to crypto. Let's listen. Well,

0:05:51.160 --> 0:05:53.400
<v Speaker 1>I think we've got to accept that this is going

0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:57.240
<v Speaker 1>to be a great opportunity. We've got to regulate to

0:05:57.279 --> 0:05:59.520
<v Speaker 1>innovate those so we've gripped it in the UK. I

0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:03.039
<v Speaker 1>made a each last Monday and I announced the number

0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:06.640
<v Speaker 1>of interventions we want to bring industry together with our regulator,

0:06:06.760 --> 0:06:09.760
<v Speaker 1>with government so we can work out the best steps

0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:12.880
<v Speaker 1>to take this interesting phenomena forward because it has many

0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:16.560
<v Speaker 1>applications both for financial services and to the wider economy.

0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:20.040
<v Speaker 1>And so I'm excited about that and I'm pleased that

0:06:20.080 --> 0:06:23.039
<v Speaker 1>we're able to get that engagement with industry both here

0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:26.320
<v Speaker 1>and in London in order to drive it forward. Well,

0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:28.920
<v Speaker 1>you know, to your point um, so much of regulation

0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:31.400
<v Speaker 1>is really about relationships. Who you know, who you can

0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:36.240
<v Speaker 1>successfully lobby, And certainly various of these companies have been

0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:39.840
<v Speaker 1>finding because they haven't been successful with their efforts or

0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:41.760
<v Speaker 1>they're not getting the attention and they think they deserve

0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:45.120
<v Speaker 1>They're looking to other financial centers. Dubai is a huge

0:06:45.160 --> 0:06:48.720
<v Speaker 1>one for crypto. You know, they have some very attractive

0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:53.839
<v Speaker 1>propositions to potential crypto folks. Switzerland is always always on

0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.320
<v Speaker 1>folkus as radar. What is it about these financial centers

0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:00.200
<v Speaker 1>that are causing people to reconsider their commitment to the UK.

0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:05.200
<v Speaker 1>One thing that the UK did do that others haven't

0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:10.040
<v Speaker 1>on cryptoregulation was explicitly banned retail investors from accessing crypto

0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:13.440
<v Speaker 1>derivatives products. Now, if you look at somewhere like Europe,

0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:16.560
<v Speaker 1>crypto derivatives have been a very big part of the

0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:19.320
<v Speaker 1>ecosystem for quite a few years. They've been around since

0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.680
<v Speaker 1>about twenty fifteen, and as we know now with the

0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:25.960
<v Speaker 1>with the US fight for a Bitcoin ETF, it's definitely

0:07:26.000 --> 0:07:28.680
<v Speaker 1>touted as the way that institutional investors will get access

0:07:28.680 --> 0:07:31.400
<v Speaker 1>to crypto because they can use listed products that will

0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:34.000
<v Speaker 1>track the price of something like bitcoin without actually having

0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:36.360
<v Speaker 1>to hold it. When the UK decided to ban those

0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:40.320
<v Speaker 1>products retail investors, it also inadvertently created the environment where

0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:43.280
<v Speaker 1>clearing houses weren't that comfortable with listing them, even for

0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:46.800
<v Speaker 1>just professionals. UM and it made life difficult for for

0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:49.640
<v Speaker 1>companies like you Toro, for example, who offered them already.

0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:51.760
<v Speaker 1>And that's one area where Europe has been able to

0:07:51.800 --> 0:07:55.000
<v Speaker 1>pull ahead. Switzerland is one of the biggest hubs for

0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:57.400
<v Speaker 1>these exchange shaded products on crypto. It's got a lot

0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:00.280
<v Speaker 1>of space there. It's also got an area like Cirque,

0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:03.200
<v Speaker 1>which is known as Crypto Valley um. And so when

0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:06.360
<v Speaker 1>this year when companies were struggling to get permissions from

0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:09.480
<v Speaker 1>the f c A to remain operating in the UK,

0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:11.960
<v Speaker 1>they had to meet certain anti money laundering requirements and

0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:15.120
<v Speaker 1>more than crypto companies that applied struggled to do that.

0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:21.600
<v Speaker 1>They basically faced the decision of downing tools and stopping

0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:24.040
<v Speaker 1>the business or moving the part of the business that

0:08:24.080 --> 0:08:27.800
<v Speaker 1>would be considered under that regulated part of crypto abroad,

0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:30.280
<v Speaker 1>and Switzerland was one of the key cups, alongside places

0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:33.640
<v Speaker 1>like Croatia and Dubai. As you mentioned, got it now

0:08:34.240 --> 0:08:37.080
<v Speaker 1>downing tools throwing toys out of the prom You know,

0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:39.880
<v Speaker 1>various folks have had perspectives on if this was a

0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:44.440
<v Speaker 1>a commensurate response to moves by by the Sea and

0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:47.280
<v Speaker 1>Treasury and others. But you know, you you in the

0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:49.240
<v Speaker 1>course of your reporting, you talked to a lot of

0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.320
<v Speaker 1>the folks in the market, what specifically are they saying,

0:08:52.880 --> 0:08:55.240
<v Speaker 1>would would the f C or the Treasury have to

0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:59.160
<v Speaker 1>be doing or have to be trying harder on to

0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:02.200
<v Speaker 1>recreate it that impression that the UK is an attractive

0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:04.679
<v Speaker 1>place for these kinds of companies, particularly ones doing the

0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:08.000
<v Speaker 1>more complicated products. So in the last few months the

0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:11.040
<v Speaker 1>Treasury announced that it wants to be a global crypto hub,

0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:17.960
<v Speaker 1>which I think was definitely the first start. A lot

0:09:18.000 --> 0:09:20.240
<v Speaker 1>of crypto companies that I spoke to said, you know,

0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:23.240
<v Speaker 1>even if we find other parts of crypto regulation the

0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:26.240
<v Speaker 1>UK incredibly difficult to deal with, you're only ever going

0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:28.040
<v Speaker 1>to take a message like that from the Treasury as

0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:30.600
<v Speaker 1>a positive. So that that was kind of the start.

0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:32.680
<v Speaker 1>But since then there have been a lot of moves

0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:37.080
<v Speaker 1>to basically get the ball rolling on putting actual regulation

0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:39.480
<v Speaker 1>in place for crypto and one of those was a

0:09:39.600 --> 0:09:41.680
<v Speaker 1>Crypto Sprint by the f C A which is like

0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:44.480
<v Speaker 1>a two day event where lots of crypto executives but

0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:47.640
<v Speaker 1>also interested parties in the space like lawyers and accountants

0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:50.760
<v Speaker 1>and consultants are all invited into a room with top

0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:53.040
<v Speaker 1>staff from the FCA to talk about crypto and what

0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:55.600
<v Speaker 1>it is that they need from the regulator and vice versa.

0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.600
<v Speaker 1>Um topics that they discussed their according to some of

0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:01.439
<v Speaker 1>the people who went, are things like, you know, whether

0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:04.520
<v Speaker 1>there is already kind of de facto crypto regulation in

0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:07.920
<v Speaker 1>place that the exchanges are having to be the guardians

0:10:07.960 --> 0:10:10.320
<v Speaker 1>of because they act as almost the gatekeepers to the

0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:13.559
<v Speaker 1>industry and deciding which projects to this and therefore which

0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:17.880
<v Speaker 1>tokens consumers get access to. They also were very concerned

0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.679
<v Speaker 1>about custody and whether the essay wants to regulate that

0:10:20.679 --> 0:10:24.120
<v Speaker 1>that's something that's already regulated in countries like Germany um.

0:10:24.160 --> 0:10:26.920
<v Speaker 1>And they were very concerned about stable coins as well,

0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:30.119
<v Speaker 1>particularly in the context of terrorist collapse, and whether regulators

0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:33.800
<v Speaker 1>should demand more transparency over which assets or algorithms are

0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:37.480
<v Speaker 1>backing slash supporting these coins. Well, Emily, thank you for

0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:40.040
<v Speaker 1>giving us a lay of the land of that digital

0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:42.600
<v Speaker 1>or hopefully digital landscape in the UK as it relates

0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:46.320
<v Speaker 1>to crypto regulation. Any kind of closing teakaways for someone

0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:48.600
<v Speaker 1>who is trying to learn more about what they should

0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:53.360
<v Speaker 1>understand about crypto, and I think regulation is you know,

0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:55.480
<v Speaker 1>while some people would say it's boring. I think it's

0:10:55.520 --> 0:10:58.280
<v Speaker 1>the key thing to pay attention to here because the

0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:01.640
<v Speaker 1>crypto investor market is large, stable, it grows in ebbs

0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:04.559
<v Speaker 1>and flows like anywhere else. Um. But regulation is the

0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:07.200
<v Speaker 1>place where the UK is really trying to stand out

0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:10.160
<v Speaker 1>or be different, and over the next twelve months is

0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:12.520
<v Speaker 1>when there will kind of be a calling card. We

0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:16.200
<v Speaker 1>spoke to the former Chancellor Philip Hammond back in January

0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:18.160
<v Speaker 1>who kind of said if the if the UK doesn't

0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:20.840
<v Speaker 1>get ahead in crypto or just even figure out what

0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:22.959
<v Speaker 1>it's doing by the end of this year, there will

0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:25.960
<v Speaker 1>be no coming back from that. UM. So definitely the

0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:30.040
<v Speaker 1>next twelve months are very crucial on that slightly foreboarding note, Emily,

0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:32.320
<v Speaker 1>thank you very much for joining us today. Really appreciate

0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:35.760
<v Speaker 1>having you here. You can find more of Emily Nicole's

0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:39.160
<v Speaker 1>reporting on the Bloomberg Terminal, on Bloomberg dot com and

0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:42.679
<v Speaker 1>on Twitter at Emily J. Nicole. That's n I C

0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:47.200
<v Speaker 1>O L L E. We'll be right back for a

0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:49.520
<v Speaker 1>look at what makes investors in the UK crypto market

0:11:49.559 --> 0:12:04.440
<v Speaker 1>excited and maybe a little bit nervous. So what exactly

0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:07.719
<v Speaker 1>are UK investors in the digital asset landscape encouraged by

0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:11.640
<v Speaker 1>these days and what are they wary of? A regulatory

0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:14.880
<v Speaker 1>framework for cryptocurrencies is beginning to take shape. I think

0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:18.120
<v Speaker 1>what we're seeing effectively the opportunity of leaving away from

0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:22.840
<v Speaker 1>traditional kind of transition into how can we create legislation

0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:25.520
<v Speaker 1>for what we want to do kind of going forward.

0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:30.880
<v Speaker 1>That's Blair Holiday, the UK head of the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini.

0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:35.480
<v Speaker 1>Blair joins us now. Blair, so good to have you.

0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:37.760
<v Speaker 1>Thank you for joining us today. Absolute a lot it

0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:39.880
<v Speaker 1>to be here, thank you. So first I'm going to

0:12:40.000 --> 0:12:43.920
<v Speaker 1>ask you are the UK head of Gemini, which is

0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.080
<v Speaker 1>a crypto exchange. Can you say a little bit more

0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:49.040
<v Speaker 1>about what it is that you and Gemini do? Exactly

0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:53.120
<v Speaker 1>absolutely so. Gemini is a crypto exchange and custodian. We

0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:55.440
<v Speaker 1>are founded in the US have We've been in the

0:12:55.520 --> 0:12:58.160
<v Speaker 1>UK for about two years now, where a one of

0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.320
<v Speaker 1>the few firms that have an f C a crypto

0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:04.320
<v Speaker 1>asset registration. We're also authorized as any money institutions, so

0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:08.040
<v Speaker 1>effectively we enable customers to buy, sell, and still crypto

0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:12.400
<v Speaker 1>on our platform. And so you mentioned both retail and institutional,

0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:15.240
<v Speaker 1>which means you have like lots of people who regulate you,

0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:18.960
<v Speaker 1>I would imagine given the variety of customer bases that

0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.240
<v Speaker 1>you have, can you say a little bit more about

0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:24.640
<v Speaker 1>what you think the regulatory landscape in the UK is like,

0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:28.240
<v Speaker 1>especially post Brexit as it relates to crypto companies like

0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:31.240
<v Speaker 1>the one you are at, you know, in terms of

0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:35.400
<v Speaker 1>the opportunities kind of coming further down the line, the

0:13:35.480 --> 0:13:39.120
<v Speaker 1>UK about a month or so ago, through John Glenn

0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:43.280
<v Speaker 1>announced it's intent to make the UK a global crypto hub,

0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:45.920
<v Speaker 1>and on the back of that the the f C

0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:49.120
<v Speaker 1>a ouncer f C a crypto sprint, and then Brexit

0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:51.480
<v Speaker 1>obviously has occurred, and now it's a period of time

0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:55.000
<v Speaker 1>that has effectively traveled whereby the UK it's kind of

0:13:55.520 --> 0:13:59.040
<v Speaker 1>effectively moved further down. It's transition out of the EU

0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:01.720
<v Speaker 1>into a situation action work and start to develop more

0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:05.640
<v Speaker 1>of its its legislation, and crypto being an obvious one

0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:09.160
<v Speaker 1>for them to get into. So I think we're incredibly

0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:13.000
<v Speaker 1>exciting time for legislation in the UK, specifically in the

0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:17.240
<v Speaker 1>in the crypto space. So to your point about the

0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:20.800
<v Speaker 1>landscape that you want to see, what are some specific

0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:23.560
<v Speaker 1>things that you might be hoping will come out of

0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:26.720
<v Speaker 1>that sprint? Well, I think clarity. I think clarity and

0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:32.680
<v Speaker 1>nuance are those things in contradiction. Okay, So what I

0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:34.680
<v Speaker 1>mean by that is that I think there's a kind

0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:37.400
<v Speaker 1>of a recognition that the framework is there when it

0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:39.800
<v Speaker 1>comes to regulation in the UK. The f c A

0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:42.720
<v Speaker 1>is a principle's plans to regulated and those principles can

0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.880
<v Speaker 1>certainly be adopted in a wide ranging different areas of

0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:48.880
<v Speaker 1>financial services. So I think what we'll you know, what

0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:52.240
<v Speaker 1>we'd like to see is the opportunity to crypto has

0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:55.760
<v Speaker 1>to expand and have some of those principles kind of

0:14:55.880 --> 0:15:00.160
<v Speaker 1>adapted and introduce into the into kind of a more

0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:05.400
<v Speaker 1>fuse of regulation requiring or enabling firms to seek regulatory

0:15:05.400 --> 0:15:08.760
<v Speaker 1>approval within the UK. And that doesn't mean it needs

0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:12.800
<v Speaker 1>to be easy. We understand that the amail process of

0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:16.840
<v Speaker 1>these administration process was challenging and sets a high bar,

0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:19.720
<v Speaker 1>and we support that and we you know, we welcome that.

0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:22.800
<v Speaker 1>Gemini is an interesting position because, as you mentioned, started

0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:24.840
<v Speaker 1>in the US, is now operating the UK has a

0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:28.560
<v Speaker 1>lot of visibility into the European landscape. Is there anything

0:15:28.560 --> 0:15:30.840
<v Speaker 1>about the fact that no two countries or areas seem

0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.120
<v Speaker 1>to have the same approach to crypto that makes your

0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:36.040
<v Speaker 1>life more complicated. What we've definitely kind of seen from

0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:38.680
<v Speaker 1>the look from the UK, the US and the U,

0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:44.440
<v Speaker 1>there is definitely a desire for agile regulation. All of

0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:47.200
<v Speaker 1>us the working crypto understand how quickly it can change

0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:53.080
<v Speaker 1>and having having legislation planned without kind of having the

0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:56.280
<v Speaker 1>ability to adjust that will be problematic in this environment

0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:59.040
<v Speaker 1>because it was a quick moving environment. So look, we're

0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:02.880
<v Speaker 1>certainly excited by the regulatory landscape across the board. And

0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:06.240
<v Speaker 1>just as a kind of a closing thought, what do

0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:10.880
<v Speaker 1>you think is the biggest current selling point that UK

0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:13.800
<v Speaker 1>regulators have, Like nothing else changes that, you know, we're

0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:18.200
<v Speaker 1>not talking about future regulations. Why are people there right now? Talent?

0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:22.240
<v Speaker 1>The UK has a terrific level of talent. It's a

0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:27.200
<v Speaker 1>traditional hub for financial services. It's also an incredibly versioning

0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:32.200
<v Speaker 1>environment for fintech. The UK has, for example, prior to breakfit,

0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:35.600
<v Speaker 1>had more email institutions than the rest of the combined.

0:16:36.000 --> 0:16:39.160
<v Speaker 1>So that talent in fintech is there. The talent in

0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:43.120
<v Speaker 1>traditional finances there, so there's a tremendous opportunity in terms

0:16:43.120 --> 0:16:46.680
<v Speaker 1>of talent to be acquired by crypto firms. We've seen

0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:49.200
<v Speaker 1>that with our own hire, and we've seen incredible talent

0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:52.520
<v Speaker 1>from a variety of different industries come on board. As

0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:55.320
<v Speaker 1>well as that, you also have a government that is

0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:59.560
<v Speaker 1>very much kind of peddling towards a pro crypto stance,

0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:03.680
<v Speaker 1>So the opportunities from the UK for crypto have never

0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.720
<v Speaker 1>been bright. Well. On that unusually positive notes, I gotta

0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:11.880
<v Speaker 1>say thank you again. I appreciate you taking the time

0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:13.680
<v Speaker 1>to be here. Thank you very much for a pot

0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:18.679
<v Speaker 1>of me. On the next episode of Bloomberg Crypto. Have

0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:21.400
<v Speaker 1>you ever heard the saying everything is bigger in Texas?

0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:24.879
<v Speaker 1>The same applies to mining bitcoin in the state. The

0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:29.040
<v Speaker 1>States of Texas is flush with bitcoin miners, including the

0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:32.480
<v Speaker 1>city of Fort Worth that started a small mining operation

0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:35.520
<v Speaker 1>out of its city hall. Tomorrow, I'll talk with Bloomberg

0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:38.119
<v Speaker 1>report to Mike Smith about what makes the state so

0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:41.919
<v Speaker 1>attractive to crypto enthusiasts, and you'll hear from Lee bratcha

0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:44.960
<v Speaker 1>head of the Texas Blockchain Council, who will share more

0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:51.000
<v Speaker 1>about that partnership with the City of Fort Worth. I'm

0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:55.000
<v Speaker 1>Stacy Marie Ishmael, and this is Bloomberg Crypto, a daily

0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:58.879
<v Speaker 1>podcast from Bloomberg and I Heart Radio for more shows

0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.640
<v Speaker 1>from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app,

0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:06.440
<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Email your questions,

0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:10.480
<v Speaker 1>comments or suggestions to Crypto at bloomberg dot net. Follow

0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:16.480
<v Speaker 1>us on Twitter We're at Crypto. The supervising producer and

0:18:16.600 --> 0:18:20.159
<v Speaker 1>editor of this episode is Vicky Verglina. Our producer is

0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:24.760
<v Speaker 1>Mohammed Farouk. Zan Abdiki is our associate producer. Desk to

0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.520
<v Speaker 1>wander At is our engineer. Original music by Leo Sidron.

0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:31.600
<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg's head of Podcasts is Francesco Levi