Financial innovation often outpaces regulators’ ability to keep up. This was the case in the 1700s, when the Irish satirist Jonathan Swift decided to give away no-interest, peer-to-peer loans which immediately bore fruit, spawned imitators, and provided liquidity to parts of Ireland where there had been none. Despite these benefits, it took more than a hundred years for Parliament to formalize the network that had sprung up. A similar phenomenon has happened recently in the U.S., where crypto’s rise caught regulators unprepared. But now, as a pro-crypto President and Congress reshape Washington, the industry is hopeful that it can finally achieve what it needs for sustainable flourishing: regulatory clarity.

We’ll explore Swift’s innovation before turning our attention to the regulatory and legal issues that have plagued the current crypto space, learning why America has had a uniquely difficult path to regulatory clarity, what’s changing now that there’s a new administration, and the many opportunities — for investors, businesses, and consumers — that regulatory clarity will unlock.