The IMF has for the first time included digital assets such as Bitcoin in the global economic statistical standards

ChainCatcher news, according to CrowFund Insider, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the seventh edition of the Balance of Payments Manual (BPM7) on March 20, which for the first time incorporates digital assets such as cryptocurrencies into the global economic reporting framework, marking the first update of the manual since 2009. Under the new framework, digital assets are categorized into fungible tokens and non-fungible tokens, and further classified based on whether they carry related liabilities:

• Unbacked assets like Bitcoin are classified as non-productive non-financial assets, categorized under the capital account;
• Digital currencies like stablecoins that are backed by liabilities are considered financial instruments;
• Platform tokens like ETH and SOL, if held cross-border, may be classified as equity-like instruments;
• Staking and cryptocurrency yield activities are regarded as sources of dividend income;
• Mining and staking-related services are recognized as exportable computer services.

The IMF plans to promote the widespread adoption of BPM7 and the latest national accounts system before 2029-2030.