US senators urge Constancy to rethink its Bitcoin choices after FTX blow-up

by Jeremy

United States senators Elizabeth Warren, Tina Smith, and Richard Durbin have renewed their requires Constancy Investments to rethink providing a Bitcoin (BTC)-linked 401(okay) retirement product. 

In a letter addressed to Constancy Investments CEO Abigail Johnson on Nov. 21, the three senators mentioned the latest fall of FTX is extra purpose than any for the $4.5 trillion asset administration agency to rethink its Bitcoin providing to retirement savers, stating:

“The latest implosion of FTX, a cryptocurrency alternate, has made it abundantly clear the digital asset business has critical issues.”

The senators additionally added that “charismatic wunderkinds, opportunistic fraudsters, and self-proclaimed funding advisors” have performed an enormous function in manipulating the worth of Bitcoin (BTC), which in flip has impacted 401(okay) retirement financial savings holders who’ve invested in Constancy’s Bitcoin product:

“Since July, once we final raised issues with you concerning the deeply regarding prospect of exposing office retirement plans to Bitcoin, its worth has plummeted.”

“Whereas the complete extent of the harm brought on by FTX continues to unfold, the contagion is being felt throughout the broader digital asset market. Bitcoin is not any exception,” the senators commented.

The senators’ letter to the Constancy CEO was the second in latest months, with the primary letter on Jul. 26 demanding an evidence of why Constancy determined to show its prospects to a Bitcoin 401(okay) product to start with.

“Since our earlier letter, the digital asset business has solely grown extra risky, tumultuous, and chaotic—all options of an asset class no plan sponsor or particular person saving for retirement ought to wish to go anyplace close to,” the senators wrote.

Durbin, Smith and Warren additionally famous that some 32 million People and 22,000 U.S. employers use Constancy as a office retirement account and employer-sponsored plan.

The senators added that with a retirement safety disaster already enjoying out within the nation, Constancy shouldn’t be exposing its buyer’s retirement financial savings to an “pointless danger.”

“In mild of those dangers and steady warning indicators, we once more strongly urge Constancy Investments to do what’s greatest for plan sponsors and plan members—critically rethink its choice to permit plan sponsors to supply Bitcoin publicity to plan members.”

Cointelegraph reached out to Constancy for his or her touch upon the letter however didn’t obtain a right away response.

Associated: Constancy’s crypto ambitions are larger than anticipated: report

In the meantime, not all U.S. lawmakers seem to have sided with the three crypto-skeptic senators prior to now. 

In Could. 2022, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville launched the Monetary Freedom Act into the U.S. Congress, which serves to permit U.S. residents so as to add cryptocurrency to their 401(okay) retirement financial savings plan with out being topic to regulatory affect.

Constancy has continued to extend its funding within the digital asset area, with plans to broaden its digital asset division by 25% with 100 new workers by the top of Q1 2023.