KEY POINTS
  • Brian Brooks, acting comptroller of the currency, said new crypto regulations are on the way but "nobody's going to ban bitcoin."
  • "We're very focused on getting this right. We're very focused on not killing this," Brooks said. "And it's equally important that we develop the networks behind bitcoin and other cryptos as it is that we prevent money laundering and terrorism financing."
  • Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong warned of the downsides of potential regulation last month.

One of the United States' top financial regulators said Thursday that new regulations on bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were coming soon, but he downplayed concerns that the new rules would be disruptive.

Brian Brooks, the acting comptroller of the currency, told CNBC's Melissa Lee on "Squawk Box" to expect "clarity" on cryptocurrency in the next six-to-eight weeks but said "nobody's going to ban bitcoin."