The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has officially included Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in its global balance of payments framework.
The update, which comes alongside the publication of the seventh edition of the Balance of Payments Manual (BPM7) on March 20, marks a significant shift in how digital assets are classified within global economic statistics.
Under the new guidance, digital assets are classified as non-existent assets and are divided into fungible and non-fungible tokens. The framework also shapes how these assets are recorded in international financial accounts, distinguishing whether they have corresponding liabilities.
Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies without associated liabilities are categorized as capital assets. This means that cross-border transactions involving Bitcoin will now be recorded in capital accounts as acquisitions or disposals of non-produced assets. Meanwhile, stablecoins are considered financial instruments and are put on the same level as traditional financial assets in economic reporting.
According to the IMF:
“Crypto assets that do not have a counterpart liability designed to act as a medium of exchange (e.g. Bitcoin) are treated as non-produced non-financial assets and are recorded separately in the capital account.”
Beyond Bitcoin, the guidance also looks at assets like Ethereum and Solana (SOL), which could function as equity-like assets under the financial account. If an investor from one country holds tokens from another country, those positions would be recorded as “equity crypto assets,” mirroring traditional foreign equity investments.
In addition, the IMF recognizes the growing role of staking and yield-generating crypto activities. Staking rewards earned from tokens held and not sold can be treated similarly to equity dividends, depending on the size and purpose of the holding.
*This is not investment advice.
