Bitcoin is being regulated in Europe and the UK before policymakers have really understood what Bitcoin is.
At
@BTCHEL 25.-26. SEPTEMBER, the first panel set out three approaches:
- Protect sovereignty and self custody
- Work within MiCA and regulated rails
- Push back when state power goes too far
The second panel asked who is writing Bitcoin policy across Europe.
Brussels, national regulators, courts, governments and parliaments each write a piece, but banks still decide whether you get an account or can send a payment.
You can have a law that looks open but you can still be shut out in practice. Lawful Bitcoin payments are already being blocked, accounts restricted, and customers made to jump through hoops that have nothing to do with the statute.
In the UK the FCA, Treasury and Bank of England are already writing the rulebook, while Parliament is still debating what an overarching digital asset strategy should look like.
By 2030, Europe will have written more law around Bitcoin. If it is still being treated as just another cryptoasset, the rules may never properly account for what makes Bitcoin different.
We still have a long way to go, but thank you to my fellow panellists for all their work.
