The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies could undermine and pose serious consequences for the macro-financial stability of countries.  

The Bretton Woods organisation stated in a presentation by its Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva during the International Conference on Digital Money held in Seoul, South Korea.  

She stated that the rise in bitcoin prices since April coupled with the widespread adoption in emerging economies like Nigeria and Brazil is a testament that cryptocurrencies will endure into the future and one policymakers will have to deal with.  

• She said, “For one, crypto assets are not going away. Bitcoin is trading at its highest value since April 2022. 
• “Also, crypto asset adoption is high especially in emerging market economies like India, Nigeria, and Vietnam, according to Chainalysis. 
• “The challenge is that high crypto asset adoption could undermine macro-financial stability.”  

She warned further that another danger of the widespread adoption of cryptocurrency assets is the difficulty in policy transmission as only a few people hold these currencies.  

Other dangers of crypto as outlined in her speech include; difficulty in managing capital flow, and the danger of undermining fiscal sustainability as tax collection could be more difficult to enforce.  

• She said, “That is a future we all want to avoid.”  

Regulation on cryptocurrencies 

The IMF Chief further called for adequate regulation of the crypto industry to check against money laundering, terrorism financing and tax evasion.  

She stated, “Clarify and consistently apply laws, standards, and regulations including for anti-money laundering and financing terrorism. Establish clear tax rules. Provide a solid legal foundation with a clear classification of crypto assets.”  

Ms. Kristalina Georgieva sternly warned countries never to allow cryptocurrencies to become legal tender or official currencies and noted that consistent legislature, private sector infrastructure and policy collaboration could enable countries to reap the benefits of the innovation.  

She said, “Among the main elements: do not make crypto assets legal tender or official currencies.” 

More Insights  

The adoption of cryptocurrency is on the rise in Nigeria, driven by the challenges of a depreciating currency and escalating inflation in Africa’s largest economy, according to a report from New York-based blockchain research firm Chainalysis.  

Between July 2022 and June 2023, Nigeria experienced a 9% year-over-year increase in cryptocurrency transactions, reaching a total volume of $56.7 billion. 

[Nairametrics]