“So, you’re looking at the ending of the Wild West period of crypto. Is that kind of what we’re talking about?” This question, posed by Kevin O’Leary during a recent discussion at Zenger News’s Crypto Unlocked event, set the stage for a candid conversation about the future of cryptocurrency.
“Yes. And it’s a good thing. Listen, I’m an investor. I want to see Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) at a hundred thousand dollars. It’s never going to get there, ever, if it’s never going to be owned by institutions. It’s never going to be owned by institutions where the next crypto exchange gets sued every week. It’s over. It’s over. That’s got to stop. And we’ve got to figure it out,” O’Leary said.
The Shark Tank star and financial expert elaborated on the crucial need for institutional investment to drive the value of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to new heights. “If we want institutions to get a 1% to 3% allocation so that you can start to see capital appreciation on crypto assets, we’re going to need real money. We can’t do it with the crypto community. It’s too small. There’s a fraction. It’s a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of the world financial system.”
“We’ve got to open it up, and we’ve got to get rid of the role players and the fraudsters, and you know, that’s over. It’s just over. And it’s boring too. I’m sick of it,” he added.
The discussion, which took place ahead of Zenger News’s upcoming conference in New York on Nov. 13, brought to light the challenges and opportunities facing the crypto space. O’Leary’s candid remarks underscore the need for a regulatory framework that encourages institutional investment while mitigating risks associated with fraudulent activities in the crypto space.
O’Leary is slated to be a keynote speaker at Zenger News’s Fintech Deal Day & Awards, where attendees can use the code BZFINTECH to receive a 20% discount on their ticket purchase. The event, happening at Convene in NYC, will be followed by Zenger News Future of Digital Assets, further diving into the evolving landscape of cryptocurrencies and digital assets.
His conversation with Zenger News highlighted the urgent need for a shift from the ‘Wild West’ era of crypto, which has been characterized by a lack of regulation and a high level of speculative trading, to a more mature and stable financial ecosystem that can attract substantial investments from institutional investors.
It’s clear from O’Leary’s insights that for cryptocurrencies to realize their full potential, embracing institutional investment is a necessary evolution.
“We’ve got to get rid of the role players and the fraudsters” says @kevinolearytv at Crypto Unlocked, advocating for institutional crypto investment.
Catch him as a keynote speaker at Zenger News Fintech Deal Day & Awards.
Join us in NYC, on NOV 13!https://t.co/KOznB6N3h7 pic.twitter.com/Ly0Cq6R1zy
— Zenger News (@Zenger News) October 2, 2023
Produced in association with Benzinga
