During an Oct. 3 press conference, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) renewed calls pressuring El Salvador to scale back its Bitcoin (BTC) policies and overhaul its regulatory framework surrounding the digital asset.
Julie Kozack, director of the IMF’s communications department, did not specify the exact details behind the proposed regulatory shift but instead provided this statement:
“What we have recommended is a narrowing of the scope of the Bitcoin Law, strengthening the regulatory framework and oversight of the Bitcoin ecosystem, and limiting public sector exposure to Bitcoin.”
Since El Salvador legalized Bitcoin as a form of legal tender in 2021, the IMF has pressured the Central American country to step away from Bitcoin and embrace traditional financial infrastructure.
El Salvador’s annual GDP and inflation rates, 1980–2025. Source: IMF
In August 2024, the IMF voiced the same demands but admitted that many of the purported risks of Bitcoin adoption “have not yet materialized.”
Related: Country-wide Bitcoin adoption a mixed bag for national economies
IMF attitude to Bitcoin and crypto
The IMF has expressed concerns regarding Bitcoin. As some fiat currencies experience devaluation, certain individuals and a few nation-states have begun exploring alternatives, including Bitcoin, which is often viewed as offering a different monetary framework compared to traditional fiat systems.
In 2023, the IMF provided technical consulting to help Andorra record and monitor Bitcoin transactions. Later, in March 2024, it suggested Pakistan institute a capital gains tax on crypto to qualify for a $3 billion loan.
More recently, IMF executives floated the idea of taxing energy used for crypto mining to reduce carbon emissions. This added tax could drive up energy costs for miners by 85%, a potentially devastating blow for an industry already struggling with post-halving economics and increased mining difficulty.
IMF pushes central bank digital currencies
While the IMF continues to oppose Bitcoin and non-state-controlled cryptocurrencies, it is simultaneously pushing for central bank digital currencies (CBDC) globally.
This past September, the IMF released its ”REDI” framework for CBDC development. The acronym stands for regulation, education, design, and incentives — geared toward helping central banks make CBDC adoption more palatable to prospective populations.
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