Market Players Discuss Crypto Behind Closed Doors

Nasdaq Inc., the financial services company that owns and operates the Nasdaq stock market in the US, hosted a closed-door session last week to discuss how it can work with the crypto industry as it moves into mainstream finance.

Present at the meeting were representatives from about half a dozen companies, ranging from exchanges in traditional finance to crypto exchanges, including the Winklevoss twins’ Gemini Exchange, according to media reports.

According to a source familiar with the event, cited by Bloomberg, the topics discussed centered around things that could be done to improve the public image of the crypto space and legitimize its role in global financial markets.

The source further said that they discussed the implications of future regulation of cryptocurrencies, and necessary tools for regulation and surveillance of the space.

The discussions can also be seen as a step in coordinating the efforts of stakeholders in seeking a bitcoin ETF (bitcoin-based exchange traded fund) approval, after the Winklevoss twins’ second ETF proposal was disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week.

Nasdaq, through its CEO Adena Friedman, has previously expressed an interest in cryptocurrencies, and has even said that they are open to becoming a crypto exchange on their own, while also arguing for increased regulation of the new industry.