Testimonies like that of Chris Lane, former CTO of Silvergate, underline the human and economic impact of the hidden policies carried out as part of Operation Chokepoint 2.0. He recounted that the operation harmed many people, as it was a terrible experience that led to the definitive closure of a bank that, according to him, was solvent and liquid.
As reported by CriptoNoticias, it was in March 2023 when Silvergate Capital Corporation announced the closure of its cryptocurrency payment network. At that time, it was said that, due to a risk-based decision, the determination was made to discontinue Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN), one of the flagship products of the financial institution, whose service clients were well-known companies in the industry, such as Binance.US, Kraken, or Gemini.
There is also the testimony of Marc Andreessen, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, who stated that the Biden administration used financial exclusion. He revealed that “more than 30 founders of cryptocurrency companies were unbanked in the last four years,” and described the practice as a direct attack on legitimate businesses.
Currently, hearings are being held in the U.S. Congress to investigate the practices of the FDIC and the possible unconstitutionality of its actions. This new regulatory process began under the administration of President Donald Trump, who promised to end Chokepoint 2.0 and other adverse rules for the growth of the cryptocurrency industry.
As the United States attempts to close this chapter of regulatory oppression and moves towards a more inclusive and transparent policy, Operation Chokepoint 2.0 leaves us with a clear lesson: innovation cannot be stifled by the fear of change.
#TariifHODL #Notice #Info The United States is trying to leave behind the segment of history in which regulatory agencies forced banks to distance themselves from the bitcoin (BTC) industry. That was the reality left by Operation Chokepoint 2.0, a plot worthy of a dystopian novel, in itself a silent war against the digital asset sector.
Operation Chokepoint 2.0, also known as “Chokepoint,” is the term coined by the cryptocurrency industry to denounce what is considered a covert conspiracy aimed at preventing the interaction of digital assets such as bitcoin with the traditional financial system. This operation was justified under the pretext of alleged financial and reputational risks.
The operation was mainly made known through a combination of industry reports, revelations of official documents, and pressure from public figures and the media. However, it should be noted that there was an Operation Chokepoint 1.0 initiated under the Barak Obama administration, between 2013 and 2017, which aimed to oust sectors considered politically controversial, such as arms sales, claiming that there was an alleged reputational risk. This operation was criticized for its lack of transparency and ended by Trump in 2017.
Now, version 2.0, which ran from 2022 to 2024, turned its focus towards the bitcoin sector. According to the allegations, this happened when regulators, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), urged banks to cut off services to cryptocurrency companies.
To achieve their goals, regulators used actions such as FDIC pause letters that forced banks to stop cryptocurrency-related activities. Regulatory pressure was exerted in a covert manner, using “prestige risk” as a justification for imposing restrictions without a clear legal basis.