Nick Szabo Casts Doubt on Bitcoin ETF Benefits
While many commentators believe a regulatory approved Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) could boost prices of the largest cryptocurrency, blockchain pioneer Nick Szabo says it might cause more problems than it’s actually worth.
In his recent tweet Nick Szabo insists he is not “lobbying for an ETF or for Wall Street-managed money in general.”
I for one am not lobbying for an ETF or for Wall Street-managed money in general. It might cause more problems than it’s worth. The recent sell-off by dumb money has or soon will deprecate many opinionated know-nothings in this space. We don’t need new ones to take their place. https://t.co/s7OxZt9IrJ
— Nick Szabo⚡️ (@NickSzabo4) 12 August 2018
The cryptography veteran also said that the recent sell-off by dumb money has or soon will deprecate many opinionated know-nothings in this space, adding that “we don’t need new ones to take their place”.
Nick Szabo also responded to some comments with one user saying he never understood the hype of Bitcoin ETFs and calling them a waste of time, and the other one claiming that if you want Bitcoin to be a global thing, then investors will want something that is easy and regulated.
Because most people do Not want to self custody. The only people in crypto now are power users, developers and traders. If you wan this to be a global thing, then they will want something that is easy and regulated. That’s facts.
— Leon Gaban (@leongaban) 13 August 2018
“They are used to assets are already trust-based like bonds and stocks. OTOH most of the world’s gold is under the custody of its owners. Bitcoin can be even more securely stored than gold. You are losing Bitcoin’s main benefit by trusting somebody else to store it for you,” said Szabo.
As noted by Bitcoinist, Szabo’s words come amid an increasingly sage climate regarding the real benefit of an ETF to Bitcoin’s march to mainstream acceptance.
Having previously championed US regulators greenlighting the nine applications currently under consideration, some industry figures have since suggested an ETF would not be a magic bullet for Bitcoin.
“…Hopefully [HODLers]… will realize Wall St is not [Bitcoin’s] friend,” former Morgan Stanley senior executive Caitlin Long commented about the situation Sunday, while Szabo referenced Cenacle Capital managing director Bill Ulivieri, who said he was “losing respect for the Bitcoin community” over its ETF support.
“Everyone wants an ETF but without the backoffice / hard to borrow/ fail to deliver consequences,” he added. “[It’s] like they want physical stock certificates on [Bitcoin…].”
The recent announcement by New York Stock Exchange owner Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) it would build and open a digital asset platform by November meanwhile led to further considerations.
Brian Kelly, the CNBC commentator and investment manager, claimed that the appearance of ICE’s Bakkt platform would “significantly help the chances” of an ETF, while social media commentator even suggested it would make an ETF “completely redundant.”
So far, regulators have opted to delay judgment on new ETF applications after refusing Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss’ submission for a second time last month.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
<Related posts
- Bitcoin ATMs Operator Faces 30 Years in Prison for Money Laundering
- Chess Ex-Champion Garry Kasparov: Bitcoin is Natural Choice in Fight Against Human Rights Violations
- CipherTrace: Twitter Hackers Laundered Stolen Bitcoins Through Exchanges and Casinos
- Opinion: Trump’s Election Campaign to Trigger Bitcoin Pump
- Korea Imposes 20% Tax on Capital Gains From Crypto Transactions
- Former GlobalHell Hacker: The Attack on Twitter Is Way Bigger than Anticipated
- Antifa Threatened With Extremist Status: No Longer Thinks Bitcoin Is an Alt-Right Currency Antifa and BLM Will Make Bitcoin Edgy Again
- North Korean Hacker Group Lazarus Laundered Over 2,500 Stolen Bitcoins In May, Report