Regulating cryptocurrencies and future technologies: A conversation with Manuel P. Alvarez

Everyone is talking cryptocurrency, but what is crypto, how does it work, should it be regulated, and if so, how?  How do investors decide to provide early support for new technologies, especially for financial technology, when so much is unknown? What future technologies can be seen on the horizon?

On Thursday, September 30, Brookings Nonresident Fellow Loni Mahanta hosted Manuel P. Alvarez for a discussion of these questions and more on regulating new technologies now and in the future. Alvarez previously served as the commissioner of the California Department of Business Oversight, the state’s banking and financial regulatory agency, where he led the department in its transition to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation and spearheaded its focus on protecting consumers from harmful practices, increasing access to financial literacy and technology, and engaging under-served communities. Alvarez also served as general counsel and chief compliance officer of Affirm, Inc., where he led the fintech company’s legal and regulatory compliance efforts.

This event was part of Center on Regulations and Markets’ “Reimagining Modern-day Markets and Regulations” series, which focuses on analyzing rapidly changing modern-day markets and on how to regulate them most effectively.

Viewers submitted questions for speakers by emailing events@brookings.edu or via Twitter using #FutureTechAlvarez.