Despite what some people think and say about it, it seems cryptocurrency is a legit market: Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq, reminded everyone of that again on Wednesday during an
interview on CNBC.
Bitcoin and other coins are more than a new reality or a new market trend. They are new
currencies and methods of payment. As a result, many traditional investors have
concluded they need to be in crypto. Nasdaq lends more credence to that notion.
“I believe that digital currencies will continue to persist…it’s just a matter of how long it will take for that space to mature,” Friedman said on CBNC yesterday. “Once you look at it and say, ‘do we want to provide a regulated market for this?’ Certainly, Nasdaq would consider it.”
Nasdaq already supports existing crypto exchanges. The company just announced a
collaboration with cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, founded by early Bitcoin investors
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. “If you were to rank interest in cryptocurrency on a
scale of zero to 10, Friedman would be a six,” says Eric Ervin, CEO of Reality
Shares. “She would help get the SEC comfortable with cryptocurrency trading.
She would not passively wait for them to get on board,” he says.
