Answering Your Questions: A Live Streaming Session Recap (NTW 2023 Exclusive - A Beginner's Guide to Cryptocurrency: Malaysia Edition)
We had an engaging discussion where some insightful questions were raised by our enthusiastic participants in our live-streaming session titled “A Beginner’s Guide to Cryptocurrency: Malaysia Edition.” held on 17 June 2023. Here, we aim to provide a summary of the key questions that were posted during the session, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the knowledge shared. Let’s delve into the highlights and address the most frequently asked questions surrounding cryptocurrency in the Malaysian context.
Do you know that in Bali, the use of cryptocurrency as payment is illegal?
And now our response to your questions:
If cryptocurrency is legal in Malaysia, why have some governments banned it?
While cryptocurrency is legal in Malaysia, it is important to note that the legal status of cryptocurrencies varies by country. Various factors can be attributed to why some governments have chosen to ban or restrict cryptocurrencies. Here are some of the most common reasons:
Regulatory Concerns:
Governments may prohibit or regulate cryptocurrencies due to concerns about money laundering, terrorist financing, or other illegal activities. They may believe that cryptocurrencies’ decentralized and pseudonymous nature can be used for illegal purposes.
Financial Stability:
Some governments are concerned that cryptocurrencies will undermine the stability of their traditional financial systems. They may be concerned that the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies, as well as their potential volatility, will harm their economy or monetary policy.
Control:
Cryptocurrencies operate on decentralized networks, with no central authority. This lack of control may be interpreted as a test of the government’s ability to regulate and monitor financial transactions.
Understanding of Technology:
Governments may not fully comprehend the technology and intricacies underlying cryptocurrencies, leading to caution or skepticism. This misunderstanding may play a role in their decision to ban or restrict them.
Consumer Protection:
Governments may be concerned about cryptocurrencies’ potential risks and lack of consumer protection. They may want to protect their citizens from potential scams, fraud, or Ponzi schemes in the cryptocurrency space.
While some governments have imposed bans or restrictions on cryptocurrencies, others have embraced them, recognizing their value. As mentioned during the live-streaming session, El Salvador has accepted bitcoin as a legal tender, as has Lugano, a city in Switzerland.
What about The Simpsons’ prediction about cryptocurrency or bitcoin?
“The Simpsons” is one of the longest-running American TV shows.
And we quote from our source:
“Episode 18 of Season 32, titled “Burger Kings,” shows Marge Simpson is seemingly hooked on stock trading, specifically with a fictional stock of plant-based burger chain “Ex-cellent Burger” run by town billionaire Monty Burns.
While Marge checks the stock’s performance on an episode of “Crazy Cash,” perhaps a parody of Jim Cramer’s “Mad Money,” real-time data on the fictitious market channel shows bitcoin accompanied by a green infinity symbol.”
Our response: The cryptocurrency market is volatile and unpredictable. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose.
If we use Luno.com for trading, does Luno serve as a wallet for my funds?
As of this writing, Luno.com is one of four cryptocurrency exchanges registered with the Securities Commission Malaysia. Luno.com operates as a centralized exchange.
If you use Luno.com to trade, Luno will keep custody of any funds you keep with them. In other words, Luno is your wallet’s host.
To put it simply, in order to avoid further complicating the concept, yes, Luno acts as a wallet for your funds.
We only touched on the idea of custody and non-custody briefly during our live-streaming session because it is beyond the scope of that session.
This type of information will be covered in our live demonstration course.