Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called for global collaboration on cryptocurrencies, assessing their pros and cons to form a common standard and taxonomy.

 

Addressing a question on cryptocurrency in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, Sitharaman said that the Indian central bank had advised the government to prohibit the use of cryptocurrencies as it poses a risk to financial stability. However, the government is looking for a global approach. She said:

 

"Any legislation for regulation or banning can be effective only after significant international collaboration on evaluation of the risks and benefits and evolution of common taxonomy and standards."

 

During the January parliamentary session, the finance minister announced a 30% tax on unrealized gains and a 1% tax deduction at the source (TDS). The laws were heavily inspired by the country's gambling and betting laws, resulting in an instant decline in trading volume across exchanges just weeks after the new 30% tax came into effect.

 

The trading volumes and trader interests plunged further after 1% TDS came into effect on July 1. Many thriving crypto unicorns hopeful of a positive regulatory approach have started shifting their bases to crypto-friendly legislation, such as Dubai and Singapore.

 

Source: Cointelegraph