FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Germany's Deutsche Bank are seen early evening in Frankfurt, Germany January 31, 2017. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - More regulation and some degree of security are needed to make cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin a serious new asset class for investors, Deutsche Bank Chief Investment Officer Christian Nolting said.

** “Cryptocurrencies currently represent a highly speculative and unregulated risk investment,” Nolting said in a presentation published on Deutsche Bank’s website on Thursday.

** Because most cryptocurrencies are limited, their inflation risk is low, which means they could offer an alternative to inflation-threatened currencies in crisis countries like Venezuela.

** Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, has soared in recent weeks to above $15,000 in what detractors call evidence of a bubble but supporters insist is the start of a new monetary system not dependent on central banks.