Bitfury CEO and former Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks has hinted the regulatory environment in the United States could drive many crypto firms outside the country, and has already stymied companies attempting to offer a variety of financial products.

Speaking at a Wednesday hearing on Digital Assets and the Future of Finance with the House Committee on Financial Services, congressperson Ted Budd said he feared the current policy of regulation by enforcement in the U.S. could “force the next generation of financial tech to be created outside of our country.” Speaking on behalf of Bitfury, Brooks said:

“There are some products that are legal in other countries and are just not legal here,” said Brooks. “One of the things that makes crypto risky is that consumers may not understand the difference between one token and another token, so they may want to diversify […] we don’t allow that in the United States — we do allow it in Canada, we allow it in Germany, Singapore, Portugal and a number of other places.” He added:

“If you’re a developer of [exchange-traded funds], there’s no fuzzy line, it’s super clear: You cannot do that here, so you have to go abroad.”

Brooks placed the lack of exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, in the U.S. on the Securities and Exchange Commission. Though the regulator has recently approved ETFs with exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) futures from investment managers ProShares and Valkyrie, it has yet to give the green light for…