On March 29, 2016, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission Commissioner Christopher Giancarlo discussed distributed ledger technology, commonly known as DLT or "blockchain" and its potential to "revolutionize the world of finance." He noted some of the potential uses of blockchain technology, including increasing settlement efficiency and speed, linking recordkeeping networks, reducing transaction costs and increasing market access. Giancarlo also noted potential opportunities in payments, banking, securities settlement, title recording, cyber security and trade reporting and analysis. Citing the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Giancarlo emphasized that blockchain technology could provide regulators better visibility into trading portfolios between counterparties, allowing them to react sooner in the face of financial deterioration. Analogizing the development of blockchain to the inception of the internet, Commissioner Giancarlo called on US regulators to let the private sector lead and to avoid impeding innovation and investment as the technology develops. He advocated for a principles-based approach developed in coordination between US and foreign regulators. Finally, he noted that regulators should revisit existing rules and recordkeeping requirements to be sure that they do not inhibit innovation. With respect to the CFTC specifically, he said his agency will revisit Rule 1.31 (a recordkeeping rule that requires all books and records to be kept in their original form or native file format).
Commissioner Giancarlo's speech is available at: http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opagiancarlo-13.
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