(Dinarian Note: Problem-Reaction-Solution, ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) says one of the priorities for the G20 under Indiaās presidency is to ādevelop a framework for global regulation, including the possibility of prohibition, of unbacked crypto assets, stablecoins, and defi.ā The Indian central bank warned that āturmoil in crypto assets marketā is among āthe major risks that can potentially undermine global financial stability.ā
Indian Central Bank on Crypto Regulation
Indiaās central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), released its Financial Stability Report (FSR) for December on Thursday. The 172-page report includes discussions on crypto assets, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and decentralized finance (defi).
āRegulating new technology and business models after they have grown to a systemic level is challenging,ā the RBI report states. āTo promote responsible innovation and to mitigate financial stability risks in crypto ecosystem, it is vital for policymakers to design an appropriate policy approach.ā The Indian central bank continued:
In this context, under Indiaās G20 presidency, one of the priorities is to develop a framework for global regulation, including the possibility of prohibition, of unbacked crypto assets, stablecoins, and defi.
The central bank named āturmoil in crypto assets marketā one of āthe major risks that can potentially undermine global financial stability.ā The RBI also said crypto assets are highly volatile, āexhibit high correlations with equities,ā and have fallen as inflation rose.
The report further notes that the collapse of crypto exchange FTX and subsequent crypto market sell-offs āhave highlighted the inherent vulnerabilities in the crypto ecosystem.ā It also highlights the terra/luna meltdown in May and the bankruptcy filings of several major crypto firms, including crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) and crypto lender Celsius Network.
G20 Members to Discuss Crypto Regulation
Ajay Seth, Indiaās economic affairs secretary, said earlier this month that the G20 members aim toĀ build a policy consensusĀ on crypto assets for better global regulation. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in October that crypto will be part of Indiaās agenda during its G20 presidency, adding that she hopesĀ a technology-driven regulation frameworkĀ for crypto assets will be established.
The members of the Group of 20 (G20) are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the U.K., the U.S., and the European Union. The group represents around 85% of the worldās GDP.
Indiaās central bank, however, has repeatedly recommended banning all non-state-issued cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and ether. Last week, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das warned that cryptocurrencies will cause theĀ next financial crisisĀ if they are not banned. However, Indiaās finance minister said in July that bothĀ banningĀ and regulating crypto can only be effective withĀ significant international collaboration.