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Bitcoin Price Takes A Nosedive After Theresa May Talks About Regulating Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin Price Takes A Nosedive After Theresa May Talks About Regulating Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin fell from about £8,136 ($11,600) to £7,366 ($10,500) after Theresa May spoke about introducing new laws for digital currencies.

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

As the old saying goes - Another day, another Bitcoin. Well, it doesn't, but you get the picture.

The problem is that the Bitcoin you hold in your sweaty, virtual palm today is not worth anything like as much as it was yesterday. In fact, it's worth £1,100 ($1,567) less.

Same goes for a load of other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Ripple (if you've heard of them).

This is all because, for all of the differences between crypto and normal currency, they share some of the same problems, and all financial markets - digital or not - fear uncertainty.

The nosedive is basically because UK Prime Minister Theresa May and her Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, spoke yesterday about the need to introduce greater regulation and laws for cryptocurrency trading.

Bitcoin.
PA

They think that Bitcoin and its fellow cryptocurrencies allow criminals and terrorists to exchange large sums without being tracked, and they aren't alone in thinking this.

France, Germany and South Korea have announced that they are looking at regulating digital currency more as well. South Korea are about to introduce laws to make anonymous Bitcoin trading illegal.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister May said: "I think in areas like cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin we should be looking at these very seriously precisely because of the way they can be used, particularly by criminals.

"It is something that has been developing. I think it is something that we do need to look at."

Bitcoin Price Has Nosedived.
PA

Hammond said in a separate speech: "I am interested in Bitcoin. The Bank of England, as you know, among the central banks, has been leading on looking at Bitcoin.

"Look, it is a very interesting, new development. I think we should be cautious about Bitcoin.

"And possibly, we do need to look at the way we regulate this environment before the amount of outstanding Bitcoin becomes large enough to be systemically important in the global economy.

"It's not there yet, but it could get there soon.

"What is really important is that in regulating cryptocurrencies, we don't inadvertently constrain the potential of the technology that underlies it, the blockchain technology, which has a wider and more important application."

Fascinating stuff, eh? Well, all of this means that one Bitcoin is now at about £7,366 ($10,500) - which is better than a slap in the face, but indicates that the longer this talk of regulation goes on, the longer the slump will continue.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Bitcoin, UK News, Money, Finance, Cryptocurrency