- The FED warns Bitcoin may hinder governments’ ability to manage fiscal deficits
- Bitcoin creates a “fiscal balance trap,” complicating debt management
- Taxation or restrictions on Bitcoin may be considered to protect fiscal stability
A new paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis raises a red flag on what leading cryptocurrency Bitcoin could mean to government fiscal policies, suggesting it may either need to be taxed or even banned to help governments deal with deficits.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is one of twelve regional banks that comprise the United States Federal Reserve.
It is situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota, responsible for the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve comprising Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Its major functions include implementing monetary policy as directed by the Federal Reserve System, supervising the banks in its region, and also providing financial services to various institutions and the government.
In a paper published on October 17th, it is argued that Bitcoin makes permanent public-deficit management more difficult, especially in an economy reliant upon nominal debt.
The Minneapolis Fed said Bitcoin creates what it calls a “budget constraint trap,” forcing governments to keep balanced budgets.
Conclusion
According to this report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Bitcoin has the potential to pose a fiscal threat to governments and extreme measures are required to avoid further deficits.
An analysis of this type makes clear just how much more relevant cryptocurrencies are becoming in the world’s economy along with carrying with them some difficult challenges regarding traditional economic policy.
What’s your take on this?
