Ripple Labs chair slams Biden, Gensler for having ‘screwed up’ on crypto

The United States legal system is set to bring the crypto industry “back in the game” after the Biden administration “screwed up” its crypto policy, says Ripple Labs’ chair and co-founder, Chris Larsen.

Speaking to Bloomberg on Sept. 7 about his firm’s July partial victory over the Securities and Exchange Commission, Larsen argued the regulator lost on “everything that was important to [it] and important in the regulation of the industry.”

“The U.S. screwed up here on crypto and blockchain policy. This is the beginning now through the courts, unfortunately instead of through regulators, to get that clarity and get us back in the game.”

Larsen also commented on the latest court judgment in favor of Grayscale over its application to convert its Bitcoin (BTC) trust into a spot Bitcoin ETF, noting it “really admonished the SEC […] in a way that you don’t really see very often.”

I sincerely hope we’re seeing the beginning of the end of the SEC’s policy of regulation by enforcement. The Courts are rejecting it, and now it’s time for Congress to take the lead on crypto policy.

Thanks @EdLudlow @technology for the chat! https://t.co/3gZOR4lq5J

— Chris Larsen (@chrislarsensf) September 6, 2023

Larsen argued the ruling was proof that SEC Chair Gary Gensler knows crypto laws aren’t clear and simply likes the lack of clarity so “he can go after anybody and make up the rules as he goes along through bullying.”

“That’s not the American way. We should have clear rules from the legislatures, not through these unelected, power-hungry and really misplaced decision-makers that you see in Gary Gensler.”

Gensler has, however, previously claimed that the crypto market is full of “fraudsters” and “Ponzi schemes” and that the SEC’s securities laws would help to clean it up.

Biden ‘killed’ San Fran blockchain hub

In another part of the interview, Larsen claimed Biden’s crypto policies “pretty much killed” San Francisco from being the “blockchain capital of the world” despite Silicon Valley’s tech hub reputation.

Related: Grayscale asks SEC to meet on ‘way forward’ for Bitcoin ETF conversion

“We owned it and we don’t anymore because the Biden administration, for whatever reason, decided they wanted to push this industry offshore,” Larsen added.

“That was a missed opportunity. It’s really unfortunate. Hurt the city.”

He pointed to London, Singapore and Dubai as global blockchain capitals for their “clear rules that protect consumers and also celebrate innovation.”

“Why isn’t America leading that call?” Larsen asked. “That’s what we’ve always been, and we’ve got to get back to it.”

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