G-7 Countries Agree to Step Up Efforts for Tighter Crypto Regulations Set by FSB and FATF Travel Rule

The meeting of finance ministers and central bankers of G-7 has signaled their commitment to implement the Financial Stability Board's (FSB) forthcoming norms for regulating crypto assets and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) recommendations on central bank digital currencies. The G-7 has indicated it will follow the standards set by the FSB.

Following the recent significant move by the European Union (EU) to introduce an extensive law for crypto dubbed MiCA, that aims to pass The Group of Seven (G-7), which represents all the leading western powers, want to step up efforts for tougher regulations for the cryptocurrency sector in 2023.

According to reports in Japan, the meeting of finance ministers and central bankers of G7 has signaled their commitment to implement the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) forthcoming norms for regulating crypto assets and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recommendations on central bank digital currencies.

The G-7 has indicated it will follow the standards set by the FSB.

The G-7 also supports the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) efforts to accelerate the global implementation of the Travel Rule, which mandates the sharing of information on fund transfers between financial institutions, the finance ministers said.

The meeting comes a few days before the 2023 G7 Summit to be held in Hiroshima, Japan.

The list of G7 countries includes:

  • Canada
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • European Union

According to officials who are familiar with the plan, the objective of the tougher regulations is to improve transparency in business and provide greater safeguards for consumers.

The proposal is provoked by recent turmoil in the crypto sector, including the downfall of major exchange, FTX, which is thought to have exposed the inadequate management practices prevalent in the industry and spread turmoil in the financial markets.

G7 officials have also been unnerved by two abrupt bank failures in the United States in March 2023. The first involved Silicon Valley Bank, which was primarily involved in catering to technology startups, while the second concerned Signature Bank, which served clients in the cryptocurrency sector.

Among the G-7 members, Japan has already implemented regulations concerning cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile, Canada and the United States currently rely on their existing financial regulations to oversee the cryptocurrency sector.

Despite variations in the legal standing of virtual assets and regulations surrounding them in different countries, the G-7 is seeking to play a leading role in developing worldwide standards in this regard.

 

The Financial Stability Board released a set of recommendations in October 2022, toward creating a regulatory framework, to be considered by the G7 countries, in which it said crypto assets should also be subject to regulations for commercial bank activities.

 

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) intends to reveal the ultimate version of its framework in July 2023. Simultaneously, in February 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a policy paper that highlighted the essential components to be taken into account by each country when devising comprehensive and synchronized regulations in response to the proliferation of cryptocurrencies.

 

One of the guidelines that IMF directors have broadly concurred upon is that crypto assets should not be granted official currency or legal tender status.

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