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In its financial system stability assessment report released this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that Brazil's cryptocurrency-based cross-border fund flows have been growing steadily since 2017, with their scale now exceeding traditional capital movements. The report indicates that these fund flows are largely driven by stablecoins, which are utilized by both corporations and retail investors for efficiency and tax-related reasons. Stablecoin flows are correlated with international and local investment indicators such as the S&P 500, VIX, and Bitcoin prices, and are also influenced by exchange rates, interest rates, policy uncertainty, and changes in tax policies. The IMF noted that the Central Bank of Brazil has taken measures to regulate the virtual asset service provider (VASP) industry, but gaps remain in areas such as customer legal protection and the segregation of custodial assets. Comprehensive implementation of international standards, including the Travel Rule, is still necessary for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). The report points out that Brazil's crypto system is interconnected with the traditional financial system, and regulators need to collaborate with domestic and international counterparts to establish a more robust reporting framework. The Brazilian Congress is preparing to deliberate on Bill 4308/2024, aimed at regulating the status of stablecoins.
Odaily News: Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed an executive order to coordinate virtual asset regulation, enhance cooperation between the country's financial, tax, and capital market institutions, and address the fragmentation of digital asset regulation. The executive order establishes a Virtual Assets Committee composed of heads from Nigeria's major financial regulatory agencies to guide relevant policies. Nigeria's tax authority will update digital asset policies and provide more details on the impact on taxpayers. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, stated that the executive order does not create new regulatory agencies nor transfer powers between agencies; each institution retains its statutory duties and independence, and registration requirements will be determined based on the nature of the activity and the assets involved. A June report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that since 2019, Nigeria has accounted for approximately 60% of stablecoin inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa; between July 2023 and June 2024, the country's cryptocurrency inflows reached approximately $59 billion.
Odaily, Tobias Adrian, Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stated that as assets migrate to shared digital ledgers, policy choices regarding the monetary system, market infrastructure, and legal frameworks will determine whether tokenization strengthens the integration of the financial system or leads to further fragmentation.The tokenized economy is forming three types of settlement assets: tokenized bank deposits, stablecoins, and tokenized central bank reserves. Tokenization is not just about faster payments or programmable assets; it involves migrating financial assets and liabilities to a unified ledger, compressing execution, clearing, and settlement into a synchronized process driven by software. This shift may also transfer risks from the balance sheets of traditional intermediaries to platforms, code, and infrastructure providers. (The Block)
According to a post on the official blog of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Tobias Adrian, Director of the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department, wrote that asset tokenization is not merely a technical upgrade but will fundamentally alter the structure of the global financial system. When financial assets are transferred to shared digital ledgers, the three major processes of execution, clearing, and settlement can be completed simultaneously, and risks will shift centrally from the balance sheets of institutions such as banks to platforms and smart contracts. The article also warns that while tokenization eliminates friction, it also removes buffer mechanisms, leading to real-time liquidity demands and accelerated risk transmission. For emerging market countries, the risks of rapid cross-border capital flows and erosion of monetary sovereignty are particularly prominent. The IMF emphasized that current policy choices will determine whether tokenized finance strengthens or fragments the global financial system, and countries need to establish coordination mechanisms as soon as possible on core issues such as the roles of public and private money, interoperability, legal frameworks, and liquidity support.
According to The Block, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that Nigeria’s widespread adoption of U.S. dollar–pegged stablecoins is challenging the country’s existing monetary policy and regulatory framework. The IMF noted that the naira’s depreciation, high inflation, and limited access to official foreign exchange are driving local households and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt stablecoins for cross-border payments and hedging against exchange rate risk.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in its latest annual assessment of Nepal that, despite Nepal’s comprehensive ban on cryptocurrency transactions and mining since 2021, inflows of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins grew rapidly between 2019 and 2024—peaking at over 13% of GDP in 2021 and rebounding to approximately 8% in 2024, with cross-border flows amounting to roughly 5% of GDP. The IMF recommends that Nepal establish a cryptocurrency regulatory framework aligned with international standards, strengthen monitoring of stablecoins and unbacked crypto assets to prevent circumvention of capital controls and large-scale deposit outflows, and urges Nepal to complete the FATF action plan and exit the “gray list.”
According to Caixin, Kenneth Rogoff, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has warned that the Trump administration’s push for financial deregulation—particularly the relaxation of bank capital requirements and regulatory transparency—is significantly increasing the risk of a future systemic financial crisis in the United States. Rogoff pointed out that one key justification currently advanced for deregulation is to enable traditional banks to remain innovative and competitive against cryptocurrencies—especially U.S. dollar–pegged stablecoins. If cryptocurrency regulation is simultaneously relaxed, combined with deregulation of the traditional financial system, it could trigger a “dual deregulation” risk, ultimately leading to systemic collapse. Although a full-scale banking crisis may not erupt in the short term, the associated risks have clearly risen, and the regulatory balance between stablecoins and the traditional banking system has become a critical vulnerability.