The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) recently issued a nine-year prohibition order to Three Arrows Capital (3AC) founders Kyle Davies and Zhu Su. The ban is due to violations of Singapore’s securities laws as reported by MAS on Sept. 14, halting the pair from engaging in regulated activities or serving as top executives in any financial firm in Singapore.
Basis for the prohibition lies in allegations that Su and Davies failed to notify the MAS that 3AC inducted a new business representative. Moreover, they are accused of giving false information to the regulator whilst failing to establish an adequate risk management framework. This brings to light the criticality of transparency and structural integrity in the highly regulated world of crypto finance.
At face value, regulation can seem daunting for participants. However, its existence serves to protect both the customers and the service providers. In this particular case, a lack of communication and structure resulted in a severe ban for the founders. This is a direct reminder for firms to maintain stringent adherence to compliance norms.
Yet, regulation, despite its good intent, comes with its drawbacks. It can be interpreted as being overly restrictive and limiting innovation. For instance, stringent rules might hinder the ability of financial firms to adapt to new business scenarios quickly. While the MAS’s decision might have revealed an alleged lack of oversight at 3AC, it may also be seen as adding an air of restrictiveness.
This case brings us to the quintessential question of achieving a balance between ensuring the safety of investors through regulations and allowing financial firms the space to innovate. This situation serves as an eye-opener for organizations to maintain transparency with regulatory bodies. On the flip side, regulatory bodies must ensure that they do not stifle businesses with over-regulation.
In conclusion, while the balance is hard to achieve, the nascent and dynamic crypto sphere needs both innovative firms and strong regulatory bodies to foster healthily. This can provide customers with cutting-edge financial products while protecting them from potential missteps or exaggerations by financial firms.
Source: Cointelegraph
