Ban u turn

An Indian government panel reportedly tasked to look into cryptocurrency policy isn’t in favor of a sweeping ban akin to the recent banking blockade enforced by the country’s central bank.

Citing sources, India’s biggest business news TV channel and financial daily Economic Times is reporting that an Indian government panel tasked to ‘look into cryptocurrency’ isn’t in favor of a blanket ban in the country.

Instead, the panel will recommend allowing cryptocurrency trading with ‘riders’ or guidelines in the form of regulation.

While the report is yet to be substantiated, the Indian government has previously established an interdisciplinary committee in 2017 to examine and recommend a framework for the domestic cryptocurrency sector. Led by the Ministry of Finance, the committee comprises of a number of government ministries and other authorities including the central bank.

If the report is true, any legislative move to regulate the nascent but growing cryptocurrency sector will bring relief to adopters and businesses who have felt the brunt of a banking blockade enforced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s central bank, in April. The controversial, sweeping policy move has seen the RBI forbid all regulated financial institutions including banks from providing services to cryptocurrency businesses.