Bitcoin adoption could damage El Salvador’s credit rating: Fitch

The instrumentality is unnecessarily rushed and does not equip security companies to accommodate to its requirements, Fitch argues

Fitch Ratings, 1 of the large 3 American recognition standing agencies, has issued a report criticising El Salvador’s program to recognise Bitcoin arsenic ineligible tender. The bureau argues that the determination volition beryllium a recognition antagonistic for section security companies with Bitcoin vulnerability and could pb to unforeseen consequences.

In a connection released yesterday, Fitch explained that El Salvador’s security manufacture volition person to carnivore the value of higher overseas speech and earning volatility risks successful bid to accommodate Bitcoin successful the monetary system. The bureau besides hinted towards further considerations section insurers indispensable marque to facilitate regulatory and operational risks, on with expenses for caller IT and administrative requirements.

Fitch further classifies Bitcoin arsenic a ‘risky asset’ successful the Risky Asset Ratio, meaning that vulnerability of an insurer to Bitcoin is inherently recognition negative, arsenic gains realised via speculative assets tin reverse rapidly and make a volatile earning stream.

El Salvador passed the authorities to judge Bitcoin arsenic ineligible tender connected 9 June 2021. The instrumentality is acceptable to travel into effect conscionable weeks from present connected 7 September 2021. With the state yet to uncover its program for applicable implementation of the instrumentality and nary anterior comparable adoption by cardinal banks successful different planetary markets, section insurers are near with a situation they are not equipped to overcome, Fitch insisted.

It is important to enactment that if the instrumentality is implemented successful its existent form, security companies volition beryllium forced to judge Bitcoin and volition person to determine whether to clasp oregon merchantability the cryptocurrency erstwhile they person it.

Holding Bitcoin connected their equilibrium sheets for a agelong play of clip exposes El Salvador’s already battered security manufacture to the volatility and hazard associated with cryptocurrencies. On the different hand, instantly selling Bitcoin erstwhile they person it would outgo insurers invaluable funds that could person been utilized successful strategical areas of business.  

Further, El Salvador is yet to merchandise a regulatory and operational model clarifying whether Bitcoin tin beryllium instantly converted into USD oregon if the instrumentality mandates a minimum holding period, adding to the ambiguity for the security industry.

“The regularisation appears to beryllium unnecessarily rushed and leaves security companies with precise small clip to accommodate to its requirements, creating further hazard for the industry,” Fitch concluded.