The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced a surprising change concerning Bitcoin and Altcoins!

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) officially included Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the framework of global payments balance.

The update that comes with the publication of the 7th edition of the Balance of Payments Handbook on March 20, (, indicates a significant change in how digital assets are classified within global economic statistics.

According to the new guide, digital assets are classified as non-physical assets and are divided into fungible and non-fungible tokens. The framework also shapes how these assets will be recorded in international financial accounts by distinguishing whether they have corresponding liabilities.

Cryptocurrencies that do not have Bitcoin and related liabilities are categorized as capital assets. This means that cross-border transactions involving Bitcoin will now be recorded as the acquisition or disposal of assets that are not generated in capital accounts. Meanwhile, stablecoins are regarded as financial instruments and are brought to the same level as traditional financial assets in economic reporting.

According to the IMF:

"Cryptocurrencies designed to act as an exchange medium without a counterpart liability, for example Bitcoin), are considered non-monetary assets that are not produced and are recorded separately in the capital account."

The guide also addresses assets such as Ethereum and Solana that can function as equity-like assets under financial accounts, beyond Bitcoin. If an investor from one country holds tokens from another country, these positions will be recorded as "equity crypto assets" reflecting traditional foreign capital investments.

In addition, the IMF acknowledges the increasing role of crypto activities that provide staking and yield. Staking rewards earned from tokens that are held rather than sold can be evaluated similarly to equity dividends, depending on the size and purpose of the holding.