Govt likely to give crypto holders a deadline to declare assets: Report

Last Updated on January 29, 2023 by Admin

[ad_1]



India is considering appointing its capital markets regulator to oversee cryptocurrencies, according to people with knowledge of the matter, as authorities look to classify them as financial assets.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which plans to introduce legislation in the ongoing parliament session, will probably give crypto holders a deadline to declare their assets and meet any new rules, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. The bill is likely to use the term ‘cryptoassets’ rather than ‘cryptocurrencies,’ and won’t refer to the central bank’s plan to create its own digital currency, one of the people said.





Any violators could be fined as much as 200 million rupees ($2.7 million) or imprisoned for 1.5 years, according to the proposals, the people said. The government may also consider prescribing a minimum threshold for investing in crypto assets to safeguard small investors, Bloomberg News had reported earlier.


A spokesman for the finance ministry couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.


Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said last week the government has reworked an earlier bill — which had proposed banning all private cryptocurrencies — to factor in new developments. There was no proposal to recognize Bitcoin as a currency in the country, she added.


The crypto market in India has grown 641% in the year through June 2021, according to an October report from Chainalysis, a crypto-analysis firm. The government is now considering taxing gains from digital currencies, and there have been calls to impose stricter rules for transactions in virtual coins due to the unregulated nature of the business.


Earlier this month, Modi held a review meeting on digital currency and discussed that unregulated crypto markets can’t be allowed to become avenues for money laundering and terror financing.

mail Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.

As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.

Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.

Digital Editor



[ad_2]

Source link