India’s Government Preparing To Fast-Track Law That Could Ban Cryptocurrency: Report

A bill that could ban the use of private cryptocurrency in India is reportedly being fast-tracked by the country’s government.

According to a CNBC-TV18 report, the government will likely use an ordinance route, or a shortcut that sidesteps the country’s parliament, to pass a proposal dubbed “The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021.”

“The government may take the ordinance route to pass the cryptocurrency and regulation of official digital currency bill. The PMO (Prime Minister’s Office), Finance Ministry, and Cabinet secretariat have started preparing the draft details of the ordinance.

The government is of the firm view that they want to introduce the law within a month of clearance of the ordinance.”

CNBC-TV18 highlights that the government can take the ordinance route only when the parliament session is closed or not functioning.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, the bill aims to outlaw private cryptocurrencies in India and provide exemptions only for coins that promote the underlying technology of cryptocurrency and its uses.

The bill also seeks to facilitate the development of the country’s official digital currency under the governance of the Reserve Bank of India.

If the bill is approved, India will become the only Asian giant that prohibits private cryptocurrencies instead of regulating the industry.

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