Nasdaq to Become A Cryptocurrency Exchange if Market is Regulated

Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman has revealed that the world’s second largest stock exchange with a market value of $9 trillion is considering becoming a cryptocurrency exchange in a regulated market.

During an interview, she was questioned regarding her stance and that of the company’s board regarding cryptocurrencies, particularly as a service provider.

“A lot of people are frustrated that even if they go into [the cryptocurrency] market, they have no liquidity [at an] exchange,” host and ‘Shark Tank’ shark Kevin O’Leary said, quipping: “Nasdaq would be a natural place for that, would it not?”

‘It’s an unregulated space today, so it’s not something that we’ve decided to go into becoming a [crypto] exchange but we are providing our technology now to other crypto exchanges,” she replied, hinting about Nasdaq’s surveillance technology that will be used by Gemini to monitor its cryptocurrency trading pairs in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Friedman went on to remark that “Over time though, if we do look at it and say people are ready for a more regulated market for something that provides a fair experience for investors, certainly Nasdaq would consider becoming a crypto exchange, over time.”

When questioned whether she was a supporter of cryptocurrencies, Friedman confidently noted: “I would definitely say that – I believe that digital currencies will continue to persist. It’s just a matter of how long it will take for that space to mature. Once you look at it and say, ‘do we want to provide a regulated market for this?’ certainly, Nasdaq would consider it.’