Why the Crypto Crash Will Accelerate Regulatory Action

In August 2021, the federal banking agencies launched crypto “sprints” and, in the fall of 2021, laid out their agenda for 2022. In November 2021, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG), released a report detailing risks associated with stablecoins, including the risk of a panic akin to a bank run, and called on Congress to pass new legislation limiting stablecoin issuance to insured banks. Then in March 2022, President Biden issued an executive order on digital assets. The report acknowledged potential benefits of innovation in digital assets, but emphasized the downsides: The word “risk” appeared 47 times.