The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has provided guidance for member countries to develop effective cryptographic policies. The board emphasized the need to develop comprehensive cryptographic regulations to “better mitigate the risks posed by cryptographic assets while also realizing the potential benefits of technological innovation.”
IMF Executive Board Provides Guidance on Crypto Regulation
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday announced the outcome of a discussion held by its executive directors on a document entitled “Elements of Effective Policy for Crypto Assets”.
Noting that the document sets out a regulatory framework that “can help members develop a comprehensive, consistent and coordinated policy response” to crypto-assets, the IMF emphasized:
By adopting the framework, policymakers can better mitigate the risks posed by crypto assets, while also reaping the potential benefits of technological innovation associated with it.
The first element of the framework outlined by the IMF is “to safeguard monetary sovereignty and stability by strengthening monetary policy frameworks and not granting crypto assets official currency or legal tender status.”
Other elements include protecting against “excessive capital flow volatility”, adopting “unambiguous tax treatment of crypto assets”, and applying “prudential, conduct and supervisory requirements to all crypto market players”. The framework also establishes “a joint monitoring framework between different agencies and domestic authorities” and “international collaboration agreements to enhance the oversight and enforcement of cryptocurrency regulations,” the IMF detailed.
Executive board directors “generally noted that while the purported potential benefits of crypto assets have yet to materialize, significant risks have arisen,” the IMF continued, adding:
Directors generally agree that crypto assets should not be given official currency or legal tender status to safeguard monetary sovereignty and stability.
Furthermore, “crypto assets have policy implications that are at the core of the Fund’s mandate,” particularly their widespread adoption “could undermine the effectiveness of monetary policy, circumvent capital flow management measures, and exacerbate fiscal risks,” alerted the directors.
The IMF further reported that the executive board directors “broadly agreed on the need to develop and enforce comprehensive regulations, including prudential and conduct regulation for crypto assets and effective implementation of FATF (Financial Action Task Force) standards.” Directors also stated that the IMF “should work closely to support regulatory work under the leadership and guidance of standard-setting bodies.”
While some directors think that outright bans on cryptocurrencies should not be ruled out, the IMF pointed out:
Directors agreed that hard bans are not the best option, but that targeted restrictions may apply, depending on domestic policy goals and where authorities face capacity constraints.
Emphasizing the importance of promoting the principle of “same business, same risk, same regulation”, the directors emphasized that “strong coordination between authorities, both nationally and internationally, is critical to consistent implementation and to avoiding regulatory arbitrage ”. They concluded that the IMF “could serve as a thought leader in further analytical work on rapidly evolving developments in crypto assets.”
What do you think of the IMF Executive Board’s guidance for cryptographic policy development? Let us know in the comments section below.
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