PM Chairs High-Level Meeting on Cryptocurrency, Related Issues

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting on cryptocurrency and related issues, government sources said here.

According to the sources, the meeting was an outcome of a consultative process as the Reserve Bank of India, the Finance Ministry and the Home Ministry had carried out an elaborate exercise on the issues, besides consulting experts from across the country and the world.

During the meeting, all the facets of cryptocurrency were deliberated upon, and the global examples and best practices were also looked at while it was discussed that unregulated crypto markets cannot be allowed to become avenues for money laundering and terror financing.

The sources also said that it has been strongly felt that attempts to mislead young investors through over- promising and non-transparent advertising must be prevented.

“The government is cognizant of the fact that this is an evolving technology, and hence the government will keep a close watch and take proactive steps. There was also consensus that the steps taken in this field by the government will be progressive and forward looking,” the sources said.

They also said that it was decided in the meeting that the government will continue to proactively engage with the experts and other stakeholders for further consultation on this issue. Since the issue cuts across individual country’s borders, it was felt that it will also require global partnerships and collective strategies, they added.

This is the first time that the government has taken a stand on this issue wherein the process of consultation has begun.

The high-level meeting comes after RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das sounded an alarm on cryptocurrencies, cautioning investors on the potential pitfalls of the digital currency.

On November 10, Das had said that cryptocurrencies are a very serious concern from a macro economic and financial stability point of view.