Theresa May Is Taking Cryptocurrencies ‘Very Seriously’

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said that she believes her government should take a hard look at cryptocurrencies and seemingly implied that it was open to the possibility of regulating digital assets as a result of the scrutiny.

She made the remark during a January 25 interview in response to a question on whether she might “clamp down” on virtual currencies, which the interviewer described as instruments “partly [intended] to hide money.”

“Well,” May responded, “I think in areas like cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, we should be looking at these very seriously precisely because of the way they can be used, particularly by criminals. And so that is something that has been increasingly developing, I think it’s something that we do need to look at.”

She stopped short of connecting the dots between cryptocurrency and terrorism, in spite of her interviewer urging her to do so. Speaking of tech companies in general, she said she wanted to collaborate with them, as well as with other international players, to ensure that people see the internet as a “force for good, and not something that can be used by those who want to do us harm.”

During the interview, May appeared intent to convey that a post-Brexit Britain would be a positive environment for tech companies. The technology sector continues to comprise a significant share of the global economy.

Adam Reese is a Los Angeles-based writer interested in technology, domestic and international politics, social issues, infrastructure and the arts. Adam is a full-time staff writer for ETHNews and holds value in Ether and BTC.

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