Nothing has changed in the RBI’s view on cryptocurrencies. The Central Bank Governor, Dr. Shakktanta Das, clearly believes that cryptocurrencies pose a highly visible threat.
He said so in the Financial Stability Report (FSR) released on Friday. He has also indicated that the RBI will also take appropriate steps to protect the country’s financial sector from the danger it poses. Regarding cryptocurrency, the RBI governor has said that it is baseless speculation and is promoted with a good name only on the basis of speculation. In the report, the RBI has said that cryptocurrency should not be treated as a currency as there is no one monitoring it. These are neither financial assets nor debt securities. This can lead to a variety of risks. Also in the past when attempts were made to manage currencies privately the results were very poor. The Financial Stability Report said the rapid rise in crude oil prices in the world market has led to a reduction in growth rate estimates.
According to another RBI report, banks’ gross NPAs fell to a six-year low of 5.9 percent in March 2022. By March 2023, this could fall further to 5.3 percent. However, the RBI has warned that NPAs could rise if macroeconomic conditions deteriorate.
