Federal Reserve officials may soon be debating whether their own employees should be allowed to hold digital assets.
Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman told an audience in Wyoming that regulators risk misunderstanding blockchain if their staff remain entirely shut out of the market.
The Fed banned employees and their families from owning cryptocurrencies or related investment products in 2022, after public scrutiny over unusual stock trades by senior policymakers during the pandemic.
Bowman now argues those rules go too far, making it harder to recruit skilled examiners and leaving staff with only a theoretical grasp of how crypto works. She suggested limited ownership would give them practical knowledge of how wallets, transfers, and custody operate.
Bowman’s remarks also carried a broader message: regulators, in her view, need to be less defensive about new financial technologies.
She warned that innovation will reshape the banking system whether traditional institutions like the Fed adapt or not. By engaging directly, she said, the central bank could design safeguards that encourage efficiency and stability rather than letting the industry evolve outside the regulatory perimeter.
The timing reflects a shift in Washington’s tone. Under President Donald Trump, officials have struck a more favorable stance toward digital assets. The Fed recently scrapped a Biden-era oversight program that singled out banks experimenting with blockchain, and Trump himself signed an executive order calling for investigations into alleged discrimination against crypto firms.
For Bowman, the takeaway is clear: the central bank cannot remain a bystander. “You can’t understand skiing without putting on skis,” she quipped, underscoring her belief that direct experience is the only way to build credible oversight of emerging technologies.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Coindoo.com does not endorse or recommend any specific investment strategy or cryptocurrency. Always conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
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Source: https://coindoo.com/top-fed-official-wants-staff-to-own-crypto-heres-why/
