According to Cryptoslate, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the latest seventh edition of its Balance of Payments Manual (BPM7), which includes cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) in the balance of payments. According to the new standards of the International Monetary Fund, Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies are now classified as non productive assets in global economic statistics. The updated manual was released on March 20th, marking the first time that the International Monetary Fund has included detailed guidance on digital assets in its global statistical standards.
This framework divides digital assets into replaceable tokens and non replaceable tokens, and further distinguishes them based on whether they have corresponding liabilities. Bitcoin and similar debt free tokens are classified as capital assets, while debt backed stablecoins are considered financial instruments. According to the International Monetary Fund, "Crypto assets without corresponding liabilities are intended to serve as a medium of exchange (such as Bitcoin), are considered non productive non-financial assets, and are recorded separately in the capital account
