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With Bitcoin now in the IMF’s books and U.S. reserves, is global crypto reporting entering a new phase — despite official resistance? IMF wakes up to crypto On Mar. 20, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published the seventh edition of its Balance of Payments Manual (BPM7), marking the first time cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) have been integrated into global standards for tracking cross-border economic activity. Developed in collaboration with over 160 countries, the manual outlines the statistical rules used by central banks and finance ministries to record trade flows, capital movements, and financial services.  While this update does not grant digital assets legal status as currency or offer official backing, it represents a key step in how governments and international institutions measure crypto-related activity. Until now, crypto transactions — estimated to be in the trillions of dollars annually — were inconsistently reported or not recorded at all, leading to gaps in economic data and limited visibility into the true scale of crypto’s cross-border impact.  BPM7 addresses this issue by providing clear definitions and accounting rules for different types of digital assets. As a result, Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins, staking rewards, and even NFTs will now be tracked alongside other forms of capital flows, investments, and services. Let’s explore what this framework entails, the reactions it has sparked on social media, and what it means for the recognition and adoption of crypto assets. How crypto now counts The BPM7 framework introduces a clear taxonomy for digital assets based on their structure, function, and economic role. It classifies digital assets into three categories: capital assets, financial instruments, or service-related income, depending on how they operate and whether they carry liabilities. The first major change is the classification of decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. These are now recorded as non-produced, non-financial assets — a category…

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Filed under: News - @ March 24, 2025 10:26 pm