State and federal officials are beginning extensive research on the deficiencies in the supervision of virtual currencies like bitcoin upstarts.
Senate Committee on National Security sent a letter this week to the main financial regulatory agencies and law enforcement to ask about the "threats and risks associated with the virtual currency." These coins, whose popularity has grown in recent years, often used in online transactions that are not supervised by traditional financial institutions.
"This is something that is clearly not going to disappear, and requires a government response set," said a person involved in the investigation of the Senate committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation continues.
The Senate letter came the same day that New York's financial regulator, Benjamin M. Lawsky, sent subpoenas to 22 companies that have had some involvement with bitcoin, according to a person briefed on the investigation.
Previously, there have been isolated efforts to stop those who took advantage of virtual currencies. But the two investigations made public this week appear to be government efforts most broad scope for more coordinated exercise control over what has been a phenomenon largely faceless and borderless.
Bitcoin, the digital currency known, was initiated by anonymous Japanese computer programmers in 2009 and was intended to serve as an alternative to national currencies. Only a limited number of bitcoins can be created. And an online community has made an offer for the price of individual bitcoins, which are stored digitally on a decentralized network of computers. On Tuesday, a bitcoin is sold for about $ 108 online.
Lawmakers are concerned that bitcoin and other alternative forms of money can be used to evade taxes, defrauding investors and help the trade in illegal products such as drugs and pornography.
0 comments:
Post a Comment