In a Feb. 17 weblog submit titled “Disgrace On Washington, DC For Taking pictures A Messenger Who Warned of Crypto Debacle,” Lengthy tore into the federal government for its method to crypto regulation, failing to guard traders and alienating good actors within the house:
“Washington’s misguided crackdown will solely push dangers into the shadows, leaving regulators to play whack-a-mole because the dangers repeatedly pop up in surprising locations.”
Lengthy harassed that along with her digital asset custody agency, she’s “been calling out the worst of crypto whereas making an attempt to construct a lawful, compliant various that relegates scams to the trash heap. However […] most of at present’s policymakers appear intent on killing the high-integrity innovators.”
The Custodia Financial institution CEO claimed that her efforts to work with authorities businesses had been finally thrown again in her face, as she recounted the spate of detrimental run-ins her agency has had of late.
“Custodia was concurrently attacked by the White Home, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the Kansas Metropolis Fed and Senator Dick Durbin (who conflated our non-leveraged, 100-percent liquid and solvent financial institution with FTX in a Senate ground speech),” she mentioned, including that:
“Custodia tried to turn out to be federally regulated – the very consequence bipartisan policymakers declare to need. But Custodia has been denied and now disparaged for daring to come back by means of the entrance door.”
Her sentiments echo that of figures comparable to Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who has steered on a number of events that the businesses such because the Securities and Change Fee (SEC) have reacted frostily to his agency’s efforts to keep up a dialogue in good religion.
Earlier this month, Armstrong additionally criticized the shortage of regulatory readability within the U.S. and what seems to be a “regulation by enforcement” method following the SEC’s transfer to close down Kraken’s staking companies on Feb. 9.
“At present’s regulators and lawmakers in Washington are little question embarrassed that they did not cease the criminals of crypto. DC is demanding scalps,” Lengthy wrote within the weblog submit, including that:
“Requires a crackdown at present are coming from most of the identical policymakers who had been charmed by the fraudsters. In a 180-degree flip, they’re now throwing the child out with the bathwater.”
Unheeded warnings
Over on Twitter, Lengthy additionally steered that properly earlier than the implosion of a number of crypto corporations in 2022, she and plenty of others had tried to warn Washington and “assist regulation enforcement cease” main fraud, however to no avail.
Associated: SEC vs. Kraken: A one-off or opening salvo in an assault on crypto?
Lengthy said that she was publicly disclosing for the primary time that she had “handed over proof to regulation enforcement of possible crimes” dedicated by an unnamed crypto agency “ months earlier than that firm imploded and caught its tens of millions of consumers with losses.”
1/ IT’S TIME FOR ME TO REVEAL A FEW THINGS. I’ve simply printed a submit “Disgrace On Washington, DC For Taking pictures A Messenger Who Warned Of #Crypto Debacle.” Hyperlink to submit is right here:https://t.co/yTWWrEk3Os pic.twitter.com/rbo21DzOv3
— Caitlin Lengthy ⚡️ (@CaitlinLong_) February 17, 2023
Kraken co-founder and CEO Jesse Powell responded to Lengthy’s Twitter thread, and basically corroborated her statements by noting that: “I can not let you know how infuriating it’s to have identified large crimson flags and clearly criminal activity to regulators solely to have them ignore the problems for years.”
I can not let you know how infuriating it’s to have identified large crimson flags and clearly criminal activity to regulators solely to have them ignore the problems for years. “They’re offshore. It is sophisticated. We’re taking a look at all people.” FOR YEARS. Then for use as their instance. https://t.co/YHdNazM2UE
— Jesse Powell (@jespow) February 18, 2023
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