2022 has been an abject disaster for cryptocurrency investors. A bear market in all risk assets put crypto assets into a deep freeze and sent Bitcoin, the most widely held of all, down 70% from its highs. Bankruptcies and exchange-runs at crypto brokers such as FTX, BlockFi, and Celsius Networks evaporated billions of dollars in customer accounts and breached a massive hole in investor trust in the overall crypto market.
Regulators have been circling around crypto brokers for a few years, but the recent collapse of several exchanges may prompt the SEC and the CFTC to hasten their attempts to put guardrails on the industry in 2023. European regulators have already announced their intention to do so.
It’s hard to say what impact that might have on crypto prices, but those have been much more subject to terrible headlines that seem to be increasing in frequency lately. That said, money managers such as Fidelity are still moving forward with plans to provide custody services to clients for digital assets. If Fidelity and others can help restore trust in the industry, investors may warm back up to the volatile asset class.