BoB closes door on cryptocurrencies :: Mmegi Online

The Bank of Botswana says while it has widened investment guidelines for the foreign reserves, it has no plans to consider investing in cryptocurrencies, which it describes as “speculative assets without the backing of any underlying economic activity”.

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that the global cryptocurrency market capitalisation had hit an all-time peak of $2 trillion (P22 trillion), led by its most popular product, Bitcoin, whose own market capitalisation was at a record $1 trillion (P11 trillion).

Bitcoin was by far the world’s top-performing asset class last year, rising by 300% and providing returns 10-times better than the next best performing asset. The cryptocurrency’s performance beat the combined gains of gold and the Dow Jones stock market by a factor of 10, as investors flocked to Bitcoin with the coronavirus (COVID-19) decimating economies and traditional markets.

Already have an active account? Log in here.

Or Sign up and get unlimited access to premium articles.

Explore

More

BoB closes door on cryptocurrencies

The Bank of Botswana says while it has widened investment guidelines for the foreign reserves, it has no plans to consider investing in cryptocurrencies, which it describes as “speculative assets without the backing of any underlying economic activity”.

Debswana secures board approval for multi-billion diversification drive

What the 2026 budget means for banking and Batswana

‘Suspending corporal punishment promotes non-violent discipline’

Crypto oversight gaps persist in Botswana

All that glitters

Keorapetse clarifies seating protocol in Assembly

MPs reject motion on new mandatory CSR

Over 3,000 dangerous driving death cases recorded in a decade

A collective responsibility to end FMD spread