New Zealandâs financial watchdog sounded a warning whistle to cryptocurrency investors after bitcoinâs latest price drop.
According to a report on Tuesday by the NZ Herald, the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) said New Zealanders who were considering purchasing cryptocurrencies need to be aware they are âhigh risk and highly volatileâ assets.
âCryptocurrencies are not regulated in New Zealand and are often exploited by scammers and hackers,â an FMA spokesperson told the Herald.
The warning comes a day after the regulatorâs U.K. counterpart, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), also raised similar concerns. The FCA said people should be prepared to lose âall their moneyâ if they choose to invest in crypto products promising high yields.
âThe FMA shares the FCAâs concerns that some crypto exchanges are promising high returns and customers should be prepared to lose all of their money,â said the spokesperson.
See also: UKâs FCA Warns Investors of High-Risk Crypto Investments and Scams
Overseas cryptocurrency exchanges are âunregulatedâ and operate solely online, making it harder to track the operators, the watchdog cautioned. Users should check if an exchange holds New Zealand dollars in a trust account, they said.
Beginning Dec. 1, the price of bitcoin rose 124% from around $18,770 to record highs near $42,000 on Friday. The worldâs largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization has dropped 18% since Sunday and is currently changing hands for around $35,150.