Gibraltar might launch the first crypto stock exchange in the world

 Last year, Richard O’Dell Poulden, the owner of Valereum, announced his intentions to buy 80% of the stakes in the Gibraltar Stock Exchange (GSX). This move would create an integrated exchange where conventional stocks could be traded for cryptocurrency. If this deal is approved by the Gibraltarian financial regulator, it would make the British overseas territory the first stock exchange of its kind in the world.

Even if Gibraltar is known for being a tax haven, it is slowly transforming into a global cryptocurrency and blockchain hub. According to Poulden, allowing financial trades with virtual money will make it easier to monetise them on the long run. Currently, converting cryptocurrency into state-issued currency on an exchange can incur large transaction fees and capital gains taxes since their rates vary wildly each day.

If Valereum obtains the GSX, the transaction will operate as an ordinary stock exchange. As such, traders will be able to use their virtual money to acquire stocks which will be held in a trust company. If the deal is settled, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Cardano and even the Dogecoin will be approved for trades. With over 2.3 million people in the UK owning cryptocurrency at the moment, it is just a matter of time until Valereum secures the GSX.

Photo credit: Ilya Platonov on Flickr

picture of a mountain in gibraltar

Gibraltar is on its way to becoming a crypto hub

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