Despite the fear and uncertainty surrounding this year’s Bitcoin and broader crypto market meltdown, many legal professionals and regulators have seen enough market cycles to know that crisis and chaos can be a catalyst of healthy reform.

When Wall Street was booming in the run up to the housing and financial crisis of 2008, the U.S. financial system seemed sanguine, so regulators and investors saw little reason to press for regulatory change. But once widespread predatory lending practices and other forms of malfeasance came to light, and were broadly disseminated into the financial system through mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations, the proverbial house of cards came crashing down.