India to Push for Local and Global Crypto Regulations

India to Push for Local and Global Crypto Regulations

India, which holds the G20 presidency, has been participating in discussions about the potential risks of unregulated cryptocurrencies. Because of long-held concerns over money laundering and terrorism financing, regulations are expected to be a key feature during discussions.

India has been cautious about crypto due to concerns over abuse. While crypto trading is not prohibited, last year it introduced a high tax rate, which has significantly reduced such activity. Additionally, offsetting losses from one crypto asset with gains from another is now prohibited. New Delhi has also discussed the possibility of stricter regulations but has not taken any concrete steps or landed on exactly what those regulations might be.

India has emphasized the need for international cooperation in addressing the risks of crypto, including sharing information and best practices among countries. India supports efforts to develop global standards for regulating crypto and is committed to working with other countries to ensure the effective implementation of these standards.

Its proposed uniform regulations aim to establish a clear and consistent framework for managing and using crypto. These regulations address various risks, including financial stability, consumer protection, and illicit activities. The overall objective is to promote the responsible and transparent use of crypto while supporting the country’s nascent crypto industry.

The proposed regulations are designed to align the use of crypto with the broader goals of the Indian economy while mitigating risks. New Delhi is seeking a level playing field for all participants in the market and the responsible use of this relatively new technology.

In addition to mitigating the risks, the proposed regulations support innovation and growth in the industry. By providing a clear and stable regulatory environment, India hopes to attract investment, encourage innovation, and promote industry growth, thus contributing to the overall development of the economy.

India’s proposed regulations are expected to contain several key features. Firstly, they may include provisions related to licensing and registration of crypto exchanges and ensuring their compliance. Additionally, the regulations may mandate reporting of suspicious transactions and implementation of anti-money laundering measures and countering the financing of bad actors.

Consumer protection and data privacy provisions may also be included in the proposed regulations and requirements for maintaining records and reporting to the government. The regulations are also likely to outline the responsibilities of various stakeholders in the crypto ecosystem, such as exchanges, wallet providers, and users, setting standards for their operation and conduct.

Moreover, the proposed regulations may specify the types of cryptocurrencies that can be traded or held by individuals or businesses and establish rules for their safe storage and transfer. They may also address issues related to taxation, including the tax implications of holding, buying, and selling crypto and the tax treatment of income generated from crypto-related activities.

Currently, the status of crypto regulations in India is somewhat unclear. While New Delhi has expressed concerns about the potential risks posed by crypto, it has not yet taken any concrete steps to regulate the industry. The central bank has issued several warnings about using crypto but has not yet implemented any specific regulations.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in crypto in India, and many exchanges have emerged to meet this demand. However, without clear and consistent regulations, the use and management of crypto remain largely unregulated.

Crypto regulations may have significant economic implications beyond the industry itself. If the regulations successfully address the risks associated with crypto, they may increase investor confidence and attract more investment into the industry. This could lead to the creation of more job opportunities and promote economic development in the country. On the other hand, if the regulations are overly restrictive, they may hinder the growth of the industry. This could also discourage innovation and investment in related fields, such as blockchain technology, which could limit the growth potential of these industries.

Moreover, if the regulations establish clear guidelines for taxation and provide a framework for the reporting of crypto-related transactions, they could contribute to the growth of government revenue. This could be especially important in light of the economic impact of the pandemic, which has put a strain on government finances.

The proposed regulations for crypto have the potential to impact the wider economy in various ways, depending on their effectiveness and how they are implemented. While they may contribute to increased investor confidence and economic growth, it is important to strike a balance between regulation and innovation to ensure the sustainable development of the crypto industry and the wider economy.

By introducing uniform regulations, the government hopes to ensure that cryptocurrencies are used safely and securely while also protecting investors’ interests. The need for uniformity in the regulation of crypto among G20 countries is a matter of debate. On the one hand, uniform regulations can help ensure a level playing field for businesses and prevent regulatory arbitrage. This can also help to reduce the potential for cross-border risks to the financial system. On the other hand, each country has unique economic, political, and cultural contexts and may have different needs and priorities regarding regulating crypto. For example, some countries may place a higher premium on consumer protection, while others may focus more on anti-money laundering and terrorism financing.

Ultimately, the ideal approach to regulating cryptocurrencies is likely to be a balance between these two perspectives, where countries adopt a standard set of principles while still retaining the flexibility to tailor regulations to their specific circumstances. This approach can help ensure that cryptocurrencies are regulated in a way that promotes innovation, protects consumers, and reduces potential risks to the financial system while respecting individual countries’ sovereignty.

The proposal for the uniform regulation of crypto among G20 countries could potentially delay regulation in individual countries, including India. Being an intergovernmental advisor on blockchain and cryptocurrency matters, I would propose that the Indian government do the same rather than uniform regulations across the entire country, it should be localised. This approach can have several advantages, such as allowing for a more flexible and agile regulatory framework that can respond quickly to market changes and industry needs.

Localised regulations can also take into account the specific needs and circumstances of different regions and jurisdictions and allow for the development of regulations tailored to the local context and priorities. This can be especially important in a country as diverse and complex as India, where there may be significant regional variations in the needs and challenges faced by the industry.

Recent events in the market have highlighted the need for some form of regulation in the industry, given the potential risks associated with cryptocurrencies such as price volatility, lack of investor protection, and potential for illegal activities. The proposed uniform regulations in India aim to provide a clear and consistent framework for using and managing cryptocurrencies, while also promoting the growth and innovation of the industry. While the impact of these regulations on the wider Indian economy remains to be seen, their successful implementation could increase investor confidence and boost economic development.

The timeline for introducing these regulations has not been officially announced yet, but it is expected to be presented sooner rather than later. Hopefully, concrete and reasonable regulations will emerge from this meeting, but only time will tell.

 

Source: https://intpolicydigest.org/india-to-push-for-local-and-global-crypto-regulations/

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

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Local company Linfinity offers supply chains a solution to combat fraud

Local company Linfinity offers supply chains a solution to combat fraud

Supply chains besieged by counterfeit goods may soon find an answer in blockchain.

Finding out your swish designer bag is a fake might lead to outrage. But manufacturing scams can have far more drastic consequences — both for brands and consumers

Economically, around 2.5 per cent of global imports — about US$0.5 trillion (S$0.7 trillion) a year — are counterfeit, reports the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The human cost is higher. In 2008, an estimated 300,000 babies in China fell ill after consuming milk powder tainted with melamine. It led to the deaths of six of them from kidney disease.

A GLOBAL PROBLEM

As global markets open up, supply chains have become more complex.

Before reaching consumers, all types of food and products now go through more suppliers, manufacturing plants, ports-of-call, storage facilities and retailers, adding logistical complexity to their production.

Despite technological advances and digitalisation worldwide, pockets of analogue interfaces still exist. Where they occur along a supply chain, companies can lose track of inventory, making them vulnerable to fraud.

In the era of Industry 4.0, how can new technologies help snuff out risky inefficiencies?

BLOCKCHAIN TO THE RESCUE

One Singapore-based company aims to build an ecosystem for anti-counterfeiting that is sustainable, trusted and traceable.

Linfinity, positioned as the world’s first distributed supply chain platform that harnesses blockchain, IoT (Internet of Things) and Big Data technologies, seeks not only to improve efficiencies from end to end, but enable reliable collection of data.

Mr Anndy Lian, chief executive officer of Linfinity Singapore, notes that rising demand for transparency in the entire production process, from procurement to logistics, has made the application of blockchain critical.

With more accurate data, businesses can make better decisions to reduce waste.

IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND STAMP OUT FRAUD.

WAGER ON A DECENTRALISED LEDGER

At the core of Linfinity’s solution offering is the blockchain, a decentralised, distributed ledger that lives in the cloud and records contracts, transactions and events in an encrypted form.

While the most oft-cited use of blockchain technology currently is Bitcoin, blockchain has the potential for much wider application across industries.

Blockchain has been touted as a “transformational” or “foundational” technology — a game changer akin to how the Internet revolutionised information, the economy and society in the late 1990s.

Specifically, the use of blockchain technology in the supply chain industry offers these advantages:

· Enhanced transparency: A product’s journey can be documented from origin to destination, increasing trust among players in the ecosystem.

· Scalability: Any number of users can participate in the supply chain and transfer information to one another.

· Better security: A ledger, such as the blockchain, would self-regulate the system, improving on previous internal audit inefficiencies.

· Engaged stakeholders: Using an incentive model (e.g. tokens, cryptocurrency and a system of smart contracts that automates payments), it allows automation of payments and quick transactions, actively benefiting all parties involved.

· Increased innovation: Once a blockchain system is in place, smart contracts can be used to increase efficiency, integrating with the rest of the system.

PROTOTYPING THE FUTURE

As companies push ahead in a fast-changing environment, an agile, test-and-learn approach is key. Early this year, Linfinity commenced its Linfinity blockchain project, published a White Paper and started testing its service platform.

The firm also established Linfinity Talks, a global roadshow platform that demonstrates blockchain projects, and sought out strategic collaborations with various companies.

It has signed Memorandums of Understanding with companies in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Taiwan, with more lined up. These partnerships span different industries from finance and legal to logistics and fast-moving consumer goods. They will see Linfinity’s implementation of blockchain technology improving efficiency and transparency of supply chains.

This month, the company launched its own digital currency, Linfinity tokens (LFT) on Chinese-based exchange CoinEx.

Says Mr Lian: “We are serious about asserting ourselves as a player within the blockchain industry. With our launch on the market, we hope to be able to foster and encourage inter-platform trading with Linfinity tokens.”

TOWARDS INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

As hype about blockchain grows, so have the number of questions about its usage, limitations and potential applications. Even so, it is likely that the technology will take years — even decades — to mature, and its deepest implications may not be immediate.

The adoption of new technologies takes time, and needs the buy-in of policy makers, industries, corporations and end users.

Mr Lian notes that while blockchain remains a relatively new approach to supply chain management, companies need to anticipate government challenges and regulations ahead.

Nonetheless, blockchain’s decentralised nature makes it difficult for governments to intervene. They cannot totally ban access to blockchain, as they did with Facebook in China.

Mr Lian adds that even as Singapore’s government fine-tunes its registration processes and taxation, companies can rest assured that Singapore would embrace technological advancement, rather than preven t it.

After all, a future with greater transparency, efficiency and authenticity is a future worth building.

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/business/local-company-linfinity-offers-supply-chains-a-solution-to-combat-fraud

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

j j j