That assumes governments are informed, rational, and make logical decisions. Take a look at online poker. A nearly useless series of laws simply drove the money, jobs, tax revenue, and innovation overseas. The key word in your conjecture is "learn" and historically regulators haven't been very interested in learning. It is entirely possible they won't learn, and will stiffle/cripple innovation in the US and the money, jobs, tax revenue, and innovation will simply flow overseas. The good news is Bitcoin is global and it will adapt around a broken US regulatory structure. The bad news for entrepreneurs in the US (myself included) is that Bitcoin surviving doesn't necessarily mean they will survive.
I hope they learn, and do in this case think they will because Bitcoin is as global as the internet itself. I take the point that they still might not.
Why do you think regulators care about the US economy and jobs and tax revenue and anything else like that? They only care about grandstanding and making themselves look good and hassling bitcoin companies and individuals is the way for them to do that.
Sorry. But that is just too cynical. The situation with regulators is that these people genuinely believe that most business would screw over their customers at every opportunity without regulation, and that ever more regulation makes companies behave ever better towards their customers, the defenseless public.
This mind-set stems from a systemic failing of society. Most regulators have never worked in mainstream business or owned their own companies. They come out of academia, or other government sector departments, or places like the Vampire Squid, who really
do want to screw over their customers at every opportunity.
A city-run regulatory hit-squad in Detroit is still closing businesses because of infringements with the kaleidoscope of regulations there. No wonder that city is bankrupt. They just don't understand that businesses
create wealth, and all government ever does is
redistribute wealth.
