ECB's Hansson: History will remember crypto as a ‘load of nonsense'

Ardo Hansson, the front runner for the European Central Bank's presidency, has said he does not believe in the future of crypto. Speaking at a conference in Latvia, the central-bank governor predicted that crypto would be dead within a few years and that the world has entertained "a fairy-tale story."

According to Bloomberg, the Estonian national told the audience regulators should prioritise protecting vulnerable crypto investors, andthose using crypto for criminal activity. He also voiced concerns about traditional institutions' growing interest in crypto and the risks for financial instability that may arise.

Estonia has so far been fairly accommodating of firms dealing in virtual assets, issuing nearly 500 licenses to crypto exchange providers last year. This includes locally-based DX.Exchange, which will start trading US shares in crypto next week.