Last month, New York Department of Financial Services announced that it will start regulating digital currencies.

Normally, people groan at the news of more regulation. However, digital currencies are on the fringe and seek legitimization. Being regulated is a clear sign of impact.

BitCoin enthusiasts mostly cheered on the news, even though for many, mainstream regulation and economy is something they oppose.

Wall Street is on the fence about this. The banks are given another product they can trade, but at the cost of possible loss of control in that market. Banks sit as members of the Federal Reserve Banks, making them part of the money supply. Digital currencies are decentralized and if there is a center of power for them, it would be Silicon Valley.

About the Author: Marcus Maltempo is a compliance professional with more than a decade of experience helping banks, law firms and clients manage investigations and regulatory responses. He is the author of the forthcoming book Money Laundering: How criminals got paid and got away.