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May 26, 2021 | less than a minute read

Reposted from Linklaters - Financial Regulation Insights

FOMO investing: is regulation ready?

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Pansy Wong

Partner

Get in touch

Pansy Wong

Partner

After all the attention Reddit users trading Gamestop gave to so-called "meme stocks" earlier this year, it seems that now crypto currencies are the new 'must trade' phenomenon for fear of missing out (FOMO). Trading from your smartphone has gamified investing; and comments made by social media influencers (like Tesla's Elon Musk) can make or break an issuer or a day trader's fortunes. Should regulators be worried about the way retail investing has changed? Does access to markets from your pocket significantly shift the risk profile of investing or is it making it less elitist and giving retail investors more options? Does a robo advisor 'know their client' better or worse than a human? These are the sorts of questions regulators will no doubt be considering, whilst assessing whether our current suite of regulatory tools need any refinement to meet the needs of a new generation of investors... their own brand of FOMO.

A similar “social media drive and gamified” approach to trading was also apparent in crypto assets, said study co-author Brian Lucey, professor at Trinity Business School in Dublin. “You have a group of people who are looking for excitement. They have got a different perspective on risk and return.”