Another institutional hit for bitcoin–which probably had the most sustained effect–was the SEC’s refusal to approve a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). This would be a path for more mainstream people in finance to dabble with blockchain; it would allow investors to dip their toes in bitcoin without owning the actual asset. Not only that, but it would make bitcoin available on the most prominent financial markets. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), however, has yet to allow such a fund to exist–mostly because it is unable to monitor crypto-transactions in order to avoid market manipulation.
Spot trading means you’re not technically “buying” the cryptocurrency, but instead trading your USD for it through either a market or a limit order. A market order means you agree to trade for the currency at the current market price. A limit order lets you put in a designated price at which you want the trade to occur, and when the currency reaches that price, the trade happens automatically. These orders then incur “maker” (for limit orders) or “taker” (for market orders) fees — though on Binance.US, there’s just a standard 0.1% fee.

LUMMIS: We want the innovators to innovate. We want to create a space where the United States is the leader in opportunity for the creation and use of digital assets.
Brooks admitted that “bitcoin miners appear to be causing environmental problems.” However, he said Bitfury has taken steps to reduce the industry’s climate impact. For example, Bitfury has designed technology that makes cooling computers and data centers more efficient and reduces the environmental footprint of activities.