Share this article

Washington State Issues Bitcoin Warning Amid Price Volatility

Washington state has issued a new warning to potential buyers of digital currencies, citing its volatility as a potential consumer danger.

Updated Sep 11, 2021, 11:59 a.m. Published Nov 12, 2015, 5:30 p.m.
warning

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions has issued a new warning to potential buyers of digital currencies such as bitcoin.

The advisory

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

, entitled "Beware the Next Big Investment", offers a warning about investing in digital currencies, marijuana-related businesses and binary options.

It reads:

"Digital currency value fluctuates wildly because it is decentralized and often the subject of 'breaking' news and rumors."

The majority of the item focused on the risk of unrealistic investment pitches, including those that seek to intentionally misinform investors.

"Since different countries and jurisdictions have little uniformity on how bitcoin and digital currency is regulated, scammers will take advantage of the confusion and contradictions to misinform potential investors," the notice says.

The advisory also points to the fluctuating market value of digital currencies, as well as the threat of theft for holders.

"The bottom line: There are many investment opportunities among the above mentioned categories, but before making any decisions with your money, ask questions, and do your homework," the note concludes.

This warning follows the publication of similar advice last March, and comes amid a heightened period of volatility that has seen the digital currency fluctuate between $300 and $500 over the past few weeks.

Warning image via Shutterstock

More For You

KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

16:9 Image

KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

More For You

How a 'perpetual’ stock trick could solve Michael Saylor’s $8 billion debt problem

Strive CEO Matt Cole speaks at BTC Asia in Hong Kong (screenshot)

The bitcoin treasury firm is using perpetual preferreds to retire convertibles, offering a potential framework for managing long-dated leverage.

What to know:

  • Strive upsized its SATA follow on offering beyond $150 million, pricing the perpetual preferred at $90.
  • The structure offers a blueprint for replacing fixed maturity convertibles with perpetual equity capital that removes refinancing risk.
  • Strategy has a $3 billion convertible tranche due in June 2028 with a $672.40 conversion price, which could be addressed using a similar preferred equity approach.