Jamie Dimon critiques bitcoin, calling it ‘worthless’

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon clarified that he is no fan of bitcoin, this time telling an audience at an Institute of International Finance event this week that he thought the digital currency was “worthless.”

Why should we care?
Dimon’s comments are the latest in a series of jabs against bitcoin, after calling it a fraud in 2017. The bank has since warmed to digital currencies. This past summer, it gave wealth management clients access to crypto funds; a year ago, the bank created a new unit for blockchain projects; and in 2019, the bank announced it would roll out a bank-backed digital currency called JPM Coin. Dimon acknowledged that the bank’s customers may not share his opinion. “I personally think that bitcoin is worthless," Dimon said. “Our clients are adults. They disagree. If they want to have access to buy or sell bitcoin – we can't custody it – but we can give them legitimate, as clean as possible access." He acknowledged that cryptocurrencies will likely face strong regulation from governments. “No matter what anyone thinks about it, [the] government is going to regulate it. They are going to regulate it for [anti-money laundering] purposes, for [Bank Secrecy Act] purposes, for tax," Dimon said. The Biden administration is reportedly considering an executive order requiring federal agencies to study the crypto industry and provide recommendations on their oversight.