Regulation

US Congressman Byron Donalds Proposes Crypto Regulatory Sandbox

Published

4 weeks ago

October 16, 2024

In a recent conversation with KMSmithDC, U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds stressed the importance of developing a regulatory sandbox for the crypto industry. Donalds described the industry as a “toddler” that is still young but has a possibility of growing.

He pointed out that the cryptocurrency market has the potential to become a half a trillion dollar industry in the US if there are favorable regulations put in place.

Byron Donalds Advocates for Regulatory Flexibility

Byron Donalds emphasized that the use of a more flexible approach to the regulation of the rapidly developing crypto industry is crucial. He noted that the present model adopted by most regulatory bodies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), is too rigid.

According to US Congressman Donalds, a more adaptive system, like a regulatory sandbox, would allow industry participants to set guidelines as they innovate.

”What the industry really needs is a regulatory sandbox”, Donalds said. “You guys make the rules because the industry is going to change so fast over the next five years.” He pointed out that the current regulatory authorities are “not very innovative enough” to match the advancement of technology hence the need for a shift in the system.

Donald Trump Campaign’s Support for Crypto

US Congressman Donalds, an avid supporter of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, also discussed how the Trump campaign has adopted cryptocurrency. Moreover, the PAC supporting Trump has allegedly collected $7.5 million in cryptocurrency contributions during July-September 2024.

These donations in BTC, ETH, XRP, and USD stablecoins reveal that Trump has changed his view about digital currencies. Additionally, the prediction market platform, Polymarket, has given a 59.5% chance of Donald Trump to win the U.S election while 40.3% chance of Kamala Harris.

Source: Polymarket

This is quite a change from Trump’s previous stance on cryptocurrencies during his tenure as president. The fundraising success, garnered from more than 15 US states and Puerto Rico, places Trump as the candidate favorable to cryptocurrencies as the November 2024 elections approach.

In the conversation, Byron Donalds accused the Democratic leadership of not taking the regulation of cryptocurrencies seriously. He also dismissed recent remarks by Democratic politicians, including VP Kamala Harris and Senator Sherrod Brown, on digital assets regulation.

Donalds said that, although some Democrats have lately discussed the need for frameworks, such statements are political. “Vice President Harris is saying it now because there are some issues in her polling,” he said. He also pointed out that the criticism coming from Sherrod Brown could have to do with him being in a tight race in Ohio.

Trump’s Plan to Overhaul Regulatory Agencies

According to the US Congressman Donalds, a potential Trump administration would aim at “cleaning house” in major regulatory bodies such as the US SEC and CFTC. In these talkings, there has been a rumour that Robinhood CLO, Dan Gallagher, may become the new US SEC Chair under the leadership of Donald Trump.

He believes that regulators should focus solely on their assigned missions rather than expanding their roles. “It’s about making sure that regulators simply do the job of carrying out the mission that the agency was given,” Byron Donalds stated.

He reiterated his belief that current regulatory bodies are falling behind in adapting to the fast-paced developments in the crypto industry. According to Donalds, if Trump wins the presidency, the administration will aim to ensure that these agencies better align with the needs of a rapidly evolving digital economy.