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ECB's Christine Lagarde Says 'Speculative' Bitcoin Needs Global Regulation
In a speech at a Reuters online event Wednesday, Lagarde said bitcoin was a "highly speculative" asset.
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:55 a.m. Published Jan 13, 2021, 10:29 a.m.
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European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde says bitcoin has facilitated “funny business” and needs to be regulated at the international level.
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- In an interview at a Reuters online event Wednesday, Lagarde said the “highly speculative asset” has led to "some reprehensible activity," including money laundering, and any loopholes need to be closed, according to a report from Reuters.
- “There has to be regulation. This has to be applied and agreed upon ... at a global level because if there is an escape that escape will be used,” she said.
- The European Union central bank chief added there will be a digital euro, hopefully in no more than five years, according to other reports.
- The ECB has been looking into the benefits and risks of a euro-based digital currency since the Facebook-backed diem (formerly libra) project was announced in June 2019.
UPDATE (12:40 UTC, Jan. 13 2021): Added further detail from Reuters report.
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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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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Senate Agriculture panel delays market structure hearing to Thursday after winter storm
The Senate Agriculture Committee pushed its planned markup hearing, where lawmakers would debate and vote on its market structure bill, to Thursday morning.
What to know:
- The Senate Agriculture Committee postponed its crypto market structure markup hearing from Tuesday to Thursday, citing the winter storm which hit much of the U.S. over the weekend.
- The committee will debate and vote on the bill and proposed amendments to it during the hearing.
- The SEC and CFTC similarly postponed a joint appearance by its chiefs from Tuesday to Thursday.
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