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- In recent times, Bitcoin and its peer cryptocurrencies are criticised for failing to deliver the promises they have made.
The promises and the criticisms:
- Anonymity and untraceability:
- Bitcoin proponents’ claim of supposed anonymity and untraceability has been falsified in multiple instances in which governments have tracked criminal activity and recovered stolen Bitcoins.
- Bitcoin as a medium of exchange:
- For a currency to be a viable medium of exchange, the primary requirement is for it to be relatively stable in value.
- Bitcoin has spectacularly failed in this respect, falling more than 56% over six months.
- Moreover, it has also been unable to weather an interest rate increase of merely 1.75%.
- Bitcoin as a financial asset and comparing it with gold:
- Bitcoin is promoted as a financial asset that can be used as value similar to gold.
- Like Bitcoin, gold also derives a significant portion of value from the price people place on it.
- But Gold has been a mainstay in human society for millennia and gold has the edge because of more established ways of trading it.
Other challenges surrounding cryptocurrencies:
- Security Risks: Cyberattacks on wallets, exchange mechanism (Cryptojacking).
- They are prone to issues like Hijacking, Routing Attacks, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
- Shield to Crime: Used for illicit trading, criminal activities and organised crimes.
- Lack of Liquidity and Lower Acceptability: Outside the traditional banking systems.
- Price Volatility: Prone to price fluctuations and waste of computing power.
- Threat to the Indian rupee: If a large number of investors invest in digital coins rather than rupee-based savings like provident funds, the demand of the latter will fall.
- Consumer protection and enforcement: Due to the decentralised nature of digital instruments of bitcoins, any regulatory regime over crypto assets is challenging.
- There is a great likelihood of execution of unauthorised trades not in consonance with any regulatory framework.
What is a Cryptocurrency?
Blockchain technology:
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Features of Cryptocurrency
- Cheaper to transfer:
- Some coins are used to transfer value (measured in a currency like dollars) cheaper and faster than using credit or conventional means.
- Meaning the cost to send someone crypto, which can be converted into regular currency, is cheaper than something like a check or wire transfer.
- No physical form:
- Cryptocurrency does not exist in physical form (like paper money) and is typically not issued by a central authority.
- However, it can be and many governments are working to create a crypto coin version of its respective fiat currency.
- Decentralised:
- Cryptocurrencies typically use decentralized control as opposed to a central bank digital currency.
- When created with decentralized control, each cryptocurrency works through what is called distributed ledger technology, which is typically a blockchain, that serves as a public financial transaction database.
Position of the Indian government on Cryptocurrency
- Definition for crypto assets:
- The government in the Union Budget for 2022-23 has for the first time provided a definition for crypto-assets and set out a list of proposals on the taxation of this new asset class.
- Coverage:
- The tax proposal covered all emerging digital assets, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), assets in the metaverse, digital currencies and tokens, among others.
- Tax deducted at source:
- The Budget also said a 1% TDS (tax deducted at source) will be applicable on payments made on the transfer of digital assets.
- Loss from the transfer of virtual digital assets
- It will not be allowed to be set off against the income arising from the transfer of another VDA in the proposed amendments.
- 30 per cent tax on income:
- The government will define virtual digital assets with a view to levying a 30 per cent tax on income from all transfers of such assets.
- Infrastructure cost:
- Incurred in the mining of virtual digital assets including cryptocurrencies will not be allowed as a deduction by the taxman.
- Penalty:
- Deduction of surcharge and cess, which has been claimed and allowed to the taxpayer, will be deemed to be under-reported income and will attract a 50 per cent penalty.
- They can voluntarily declare such classification and avoid the penalty.
Source: TH
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