The host of Mad Money, Jim Cramer, says he expects the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to do a roundup of crypto firms that are not compliant with regulation. Expecting the SEC “to sweep everything,” Cramer urges investors to “get out” of crypto now.
Jim Cramer’s Latest Crypto Warnings
The host of CNBC’s Mad Money show, Jim Cramer, is back with more warnings for crypto investors. Cramer is a former hedge fund manager who co-founded Thestreet.com, a financial news and literacy website.
Following a joint statement about crypto risks by the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Cramer said on CNBC Wednesday:
I think these statements are the beginning of what I have been calling for, which is that the SEC is going to do a roundup of all of the ones [crypto firms] who are not compliant.
Citing John Stark, who served as an attorney for over 18 years in the SEC’s Enforcement Division, Cramer stressed that Stark is “now calling for a sweep.” The Mad Money host emphasized:
He said the SEC is going to sweep everything, which is why I am telling everybody: get out of these.
“I see a lot of people feel, like John Stark, that it’s just a giant scam,” Cramer continued. He added that he expects former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) to be material to the SEC roundup.
Cramer clarified:
I’m not calling for a crypto collapse. I’m calling for a collapse of the people in on the Ponzi scheme.
Despite the warning signs, Cramer explained that “people are bidding” the prices of cryptocurrencies up. He proceeded to warn investors to get their money out of crypto while they can.
The Mad Money host used to invest in bitcoin, ether, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) but he sold all his crypto holdings last year. He has been advising investors to avoid investing in speculative assets, including crypto, while the Federal Reserve continues to tighten the economy. Earlier this month, he advised investors to get out of crypto, emphasizing that it is never too late to exit “an awful position.” He also said he would not touch crypto in a million years.
Regarding why the price of bitcoin is so resilient at the high $16K level, Cramer said Friday: “Well, I’ll tell you what Stark said. Because it’s phony and a scam.” The Mad Money host concluded that crypto prices are “being propped up by people who want them propped up, and that’s all there is.”
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