CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money

What could Janet Yellen’s departure mean for crypto?

By Raphael Sanis

Edited by Charlie Mellor

14:39, 28 September 2022

Janet Yellen, US Treasury Secretary, looks at her notes in front of a microphone
Janet Yellen has previously advocated for crypto regulation and advised against bitcoin retirement plans – Photo: Shutterstock

Janet Yellen, Treasury Secretary for the United States, is leaving her position after the midterms, according to Axios.

While recognising the innovation, Yellen has taken a strong stance on the need for regulation in the crypto industry.

As the head of the national department for finance in the US, a new secretary could have significant impacts on the cryptocurrency industry.

Yellen’s previous history with crypto

Yellen has been categorised by some as having an anti-crypto stance with a history of highlighting its risks and advocating for regulation.

She advised against cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin (BTC), as a retirement plan at a New York Times’ event in Washington. According to Bloomberg, she said: “It’s not something that I would recommend to most people who are saving for their retirement. To me it’s very risky investment.”

BTC to USD

Yellen has also underlined the risks of cryptocurrencies after the collapse in May of TerraForm Labs’ terraUSD stablecoin and LUNA cryptocurrency. She argued it was a growing threat that could eventually “present the same kind of risks that we have known for centuries in connection with bank runs”.

On the other hand, the treasury secretary has recognised cryptocurrency’s innovative technology. But this is often shadowed by the need for regulation. In a speech at American University’s Kogod School of Business Center for Innovation, she said:

“We must also be mindful that ‘financial innovation’ of the past has too often not benefited working families, and has sometimes exacerbated inequality, given rise to illicit finance risks, and increased systemic financial risk.”

Banning algorithmic stablecoins

Most recently, the House Committee of Financial Services has put together a draft on crypto law that would ban algorithmic stablecoins, such as terraUSD, according to Bloomberg

XRP/USD

2.34 Price
-1.320% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.0616%
Short position overnight fee 0.0137%
Overnight fee time 22:00 (UTC)
Spread 0.01166

DOGE/USD

0.41 Price
+0.070% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.0616%
Short position overnight fee 0.0137%
Overnight fee time 22:00 (UTC)
Spread 0.0020302

BTC/USD

100,274.40 Price
+0.420% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.0616%
Short position overnight fee 0.0137%
Overnight fee time 22:00 (UTC)
Spread 50.00

PEPE/USD

0.00 Price
+0.300% 1D Chg, %
Long position overnight fee -0.0616%
Short position overnight fee 0.0137%
Overnight fee time 22:00 (UTC)
Spread 0.00000011

The bill would make it illegal to mint or create new “endogenously collateralized stablecoins” for the next two years.

The next treasury secretary could have a great impact on not only this stablecoin rule, but wider crypto laws in the US.

Who could replace Yellen?

The Axios report named the US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve Lael Brainard as possible successors.

Raimondo has so far had a fairly positive approach to cryptocurrencies. In a statement in March, following US President Joe Biden’s executive order on digital assets, she recognised the “profound implications” of cryptocurrencies. She said:

“Digital assets and associated technologies could hold significant potential for individual economic empowerment, financial inclusion, and reinforcement of America’s position as a world leader in innovative financial services.”

The current commerce secretary raised the challenges as well. Raimondo recognised threats, such as money laundering, “abusive activities”, and “other illicit financing”.

Meanwhile, Brainard’s speech at the Bank of England Conference in July raised concerns that the crypto ecosystem could become “so large or interconnected that it might pose risks to the stability of the broader financial system”.

But the process of electing a new treasury secretary will not be easy for Biden, according to Axios.

It said: “While [Yellen’s] potential departure would give Biden an opportunity to respond to public concern over his handling of the economy, it would also create an immediate political headache: finding a successor who can be confirmed by the Senate.”

Markets in this article

BTC/USD
Bitcoin / USD
100274.40 USD
416.55 +0.420%

Related topics

Rate this article

Related reading

The difference between trading assets and CFDs
The main difference between CFD trading and trading assets, such as commodities and stocks, is that you don’t own the underlying asset when you trade on a CFD.
You can still benefit if the market moves in your favour, or make a loss if it moves against you. However, with traditional trading you enter a contract to exchange the legal ownership of the individual shares or the commodities for money, and you own this until you sell it again.
CFDs are leveraged products, which means that you only need to deposit a percentage of the full value of the CFD trade in order to open a position. But with traditional trading, you buy the assets for the full amount. In the UK, there is no stamp duty on CFD trading, but there is when you buy stocks, for example.
CFDs attract overnight costs to hold the trades (unless you use 1-1 leverage), which makes them more suited to short-term trading opportunities. Stocks and commodities are more normally bought and held for longer. You might also pay a broker commission or fees when buying and selling assets direct and you’d need somewhere to store them safely.
Capital Com is an execution-only service provider. The material provided in this article is for information purposes only and should not be understood as investment advice. Any opinion that may be provided on this page does not constitute a recommendation by Capital Com or its agents and has not been prepared in accordance with the legal requirements designed to promote investment research independence. While the information in this communication, or on which this communication is based, has been obtained from sources that Capital.com believes to be reliable and accurate, it has not undergone independent verification. No representation or warranty, whether expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information obtained from third parties. If you rely on the information on this page, then you do so entirely at your own risk.

Still looking for a broker you can trust?

Join the 660,000+ traders worldwide that chose to trade with Capital.com

1. Create & verify your account 2. Make your first deposit 3. You’re all set. Start trading