Editorial Board

Crypto Is Failing as Money. Regulators Can Save It.

It might not replace fiat currencies — but, correctly supervised, it could make them a lot more useful.

Pay up.

Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg

Cryptocurrency has so far failed to sweep away government-issued money, or to bring about the broader revolution that its most ardent enthusiasts envision. But what if the underlying technology could be harnessed to transform traditional fiat currencies — for example, by making them much easier and cheaper for more people around the world to use?

This goal might be attainable — with help from the governments that crypto was meant to sideline.