The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognized the need to consider Bitcoin and cryptocurrency when measuring economic growth. In its latest publication, the organization identified the significance of crypto and emerging technologies on global finance.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognized the need to consider Bitcoin and cryptocurrency when measuring economic growth. In its latest publication, the organization identified the significance of crypto and emerging technologies on global finance.
According to the IMF, it has become imperative to measure crypto from a public policy perspective, noting that it could have significant implications for future financial stability, tax policy, and regulatory oversight. Using comparative analysis, the IMF noted that Bitcoin mining alone consumes as much electricity as , signaling the technology’s significance.
The IMF highlighted the need for countries to adopt ways of reporting on crypto activities and their implications, citing the new System of National Accounts (SNA)—the global standard for producing measures of economic activity. The new SNA fully incorporates emerging technologies, digital services, and intangible assets, according to the IMF’s report.
Besides crypto reporting, the IMF extends its consideration to a broader sector comprising digital transformations across a range of industries and products. Based on the new SNA recommendations, countries need to develop a suite of indicators covering several areas, including AI, cloud computing, digital intermediation platforms, and e-commerce.
In the meantime, the updated SNA addresses critical issues affecting global finance and recommends improved ways of capturing financial risks and vulnerabilities. It recognizes the increased risks associated with non-bank financial institutions, which are now playing larger roles in the global financial ecosystem.
It is worth noting that Bitcoin has led the new era of digitalization despite its high level of volatility and significant unpredictability as an asset. The cryptocurrency, alongside its underlying technology, triggered a wave of digital inventions in the past decade and a half, leading to the restructuring of global finance in a new fiscal era.
Bitcoin’s latest move highlights the digital asset’s characteristic volatility, crashing over 16% in the last five days to trade below $76,500 for the first time since April 2025, according to from TradingView.
