Romanians registered on crypto-asset platforms are two to three times more than the 178,000 investors registered on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, Alexandru Petrescu, president of the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF), said on Wednesday at the 7th edition of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Forum (CIP Forum), part of Digital Innovation Summit Bucharest (DISB) 2024.

„This phenomenon is also recorded in other countries. I used to have discussions with my counterparts in France, in the UK and the number of those who are active – and by ‘active’ I mean those who trade once every 15 days or monthly, are far exceeding the number of those who are active and trade on traditional stock exchange platforms,” Petrescu said.

According to Adrian Victor Vevera, Director General of the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics – ICI Bucharest, estimates include several million accounts on crypto-asset platforms.

„Many are accounts of those who have traded once or twice and stopped. There are also several million accounts of investors who have a business in this area. Since 2014, billions of dollars have been traded in this area,” Vevera said, adding that there is a great need for regulations in this market.

ICI Bucharest organized, between April 16 and 18, at the Palace of Parliament, the Digital Innovation Summit Bucharest (DISB) event, where both the 7th edition of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Forum (CIP Forum) and the 3rd edition of the International Conference on Cyber Diplomacy (ICCD) unfold.

While debates at the CIP Forum focus on blockchain integration to combat cyberattacks, the launch of ICI Bucharest’s NFT Museum and panels dedicated to the role of women in innovation and society, ICCD analyzes the connection between technology and international relations, with the agenda encompassing topics such as global consensus on digital policies, strengthening regional cybersecurity alliances and proactive strategies on disinformation.

AGERPRES