Elon’s Crypto Comments
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, on Tuesday warned that the US government should avoid attempting to control the cryptocurrency market. At the Code Conference in Beverly Hills, CA, he said, “It is not possible to, I think, destroy crypto, but it is possible for governments to slow down its advancement.” Musk was replying to a question about whether the US government should be engaged in crypto regulation.
Earlier this year, Tesla said that it had acquired $1.5 billion in bitcoin. As bitcoin prices rose, the value of the assets increased to almost $2.5 billion in the second quarter. However, bitcoin, like other cryptocurrencies, has since fallen in value.
Musk stated that governments should stay away from cryptocurrency regulation and “do nothing.” He is optimistic about the role of crypto in decreasing “error and latency” in traditional financial systems. However, he admitted that crypto did not have all the answers to society’s problems.
Musk also spoke on China’s role in cryptocurrency mining and regulation. Last week, China’s central bank announced substantial steps in its broader crypto crackdown, including infrastructure to track crypto-related transactions.
He speculated China’s crypto stance is likely due to the country’s energy-generating difficulties. Musk also said the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies might pose a threat to the highly centralized Chinese government.
Do you agree with Elon Musk that governments should stay away from regulating cryptocurrencies, or are you for more regulation?
I am not a financial advisor and my comments should never be taken as financial advice. Investments come with risk, so always do your research and analysis beforehand.