2018-11-16 18:03 |
France Tries to Attract Crypto-Issuers
France is looking to improve its stance toward cryptocurrencies by allowing their use, but with regulations in place to provide oversight. If France does establish regulations to oversee cryptocurrencies, it will be the first country in the world to do so, insofar as it relates to initial coin offerings.
Those who are pro-regulation argue that coin issuers that agree to the regulation will be viewed as more trustworthy by investors, thus leading to more credibility in the long-term. Regulatory authorities will also issue a certification to issuers. It is important to note that issuers will also need to relent to having their profits taxed.
According to Fabrice Heuvrard, an auditor with a government task force responsible for developing accounting-related rules for ICOs, “The community is ready to pay taxes as long s they are not confiscatory.” France is looking to release new rules regulating the industry by next year.
By regulating the industry and coaxing cryptocurrency platforms out of the shadows, so to say, the country may be able to create a market for companies interested in raising capital for ICOs and all the while receiving revenue and enhancing security for those who invest.
France is not the only country moving in such a direction. For example, though England does not regulate ICOs, it does have some financial oversight to determine whether the issuance of an ICO is under the purview of regulatory authority. As for the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission has been considering establishing that ICOs and cryptocurrency are subject to the commission’s purview. However, the country has yet to establish strict rules. On the far end of the spectrum, China has completely banned cryptocurrencies due to concerns about fraud.
The position that France is taking may be a positive approach because it allows investors to verify the parties involved in the issuance of a new coin and they can also determine what happens if a project is unsuccessful. This ultimately leads to more confidence in the process.
As of late, the country has had ICOs that have raised 90 million euros. According to businessman and CEO of a Canada-based company, “The different regulators have been hyper, hyper proactive.” A French official also pointed out that there are still issues related to the tax status and whether it has been settled. Right now, the country needs to consider how much revenue is being raised and what is the best tax rate. Allard stated,
“Our plan is to declare the money raised as revenue and pay taxes on the profits we will make on those revenues. Since we are not close to making any profits, it doesn’t really affect us.”
This suggests that government regulation may not be beneficial for those who are keen on keeping a low-key profile and information guarded. Yet, there are still more platforms that are interested in regulation than non-regulation. Allard added,
“A lot of token issuers are struggling against the stigma associated with cryptocurrencies: they are risky and present opportunities for scammers.”
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