Bitcoin Goes Mainstream—IMF Integrates Crypto Into Global Standards

Global regulators have set the first set of wide-ranging rules to measure cryptocurrency transactions, reflecting a major transformation in the reporting of digital assets’ movements at the national level.

The International Monetary Fund has recently issued its seventh Balance of Payments Manual, bringing forth uniform regulations to monitor Bitcoin and other virtual currencies.

Mapping The Crypto Landscape

According to IMF reports, more than 160 nations came together to create a new framework that fills enormous gaps in monitoring digital asset flows. Cryptocurrency transactions, which are estimated to be in trillions of dollars every year, have long been unrecorded or irregularly reported.

Breaking Down Digital Assets

The guide proposes a comprehensive classification system for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, for example, will be accounted for as a non-produced, non-financial asset – the same way nations account for land or natural resource rights.

Stablecoins such as Tether will be identified as financial instruments, while crypto services like mining and staking will be classified under computer services exports.

IMF Updates Crypto Classification in Global Finance

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has updated its Balance of Payments Manual (BPM7) to better account for digital assets.

Bitcoin is now classified as a non-produced nonfinancial asset, while stablecoins and tokens… pic.twitter.com/tQHzRw0z8W

— Cryptic (@Cryptic_Web3) March 23, 2025

Two nations have taken significant steps in cryptocurrency governance. The United States has formed a strategic Bitcoin reserve, holding about 200,000 BTC for the most part obtained through lawful seizures. United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order blocking future sales of the assets.

In the meantime, El Salvador persists with its Bitcoin plan. The nation has amassed 6,125 BTC, worth approximately $538 million, even after inking a $1.4 billion deal with the IMF in December 2024 that called for restrictions on cryptocurrency transactions.

These national cryptocurrency reserves, as per the new guidance from the IMF, will now be monitored in the same manner as cross-border land acquisitions or spectrum license purchases. This methodology offers greater than ever transparency with which various nations are managing digital assets.

The response of the crypto community has been varied. Some interpret the manual as a grand acknowledgment of Bitcoin’s stature, while others are warning that too much must not be made of the report. Max Keiser, Bitcoin adviser to Salvadoran president, asserted the IMF acknowledged Bitcoin as “digital gold” – but the IMF did not endorse any such status.

BREAKING: The IMF has just recognized Bitcoin as defacto digital Gold.

SOURCES confirm the IMF is adding Bitcoin to their own reserves and will soon include Bitcoin in their SDR basket/ index as well. https://t.co/fN1takq7SA

— Max Keiser (@maxkeiser) March 23, 2025

Cryptocurrency-using countries will be the ones to gain the most from these new reporting formats. In Nigeria alone, for instance, more than 35% of adults claim to use or possess cryptocurrencies, as revealed in a 2023 KuCoin report.

Though the guide does not give legal status to cryptocurrencies, it is an important step towards realizing their international economic significance. Banks and governments will be able to track and report cryptocurrency transactions across borders using clear and consistent methods.

The IMF upgrade marks an increasing recognition of cryptocurrencies as a significant element of the global finance system, despite controversies surrounding their future role.

Featured image from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView