Global Regulators to Soften Bank Crypto Exposure Guidelines, Says Report

Global banking regulators may be preparing to ease their stance on digital assets.

According to a Bloomberg report, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) is reviewing its 2022 guidelines governing banks’ exposure to cryptocurrencies, with updates expected next year.

The revision could mark a shift in tone from the original framework, which many institutions interpreted as a warning to avoid crypto altogether. Sources familiar with the discussions said the Committee has recently debated whether the existing standards — which classify stablecoins alongside high-risk assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum – remain appropriate in light of rapid industry growth and new regulation.

Stablecoins Drive Policy Rethink

The move follows the introduction of the U.S. GENIUS Act, which formally legalized stablecoins for payments and clarified oversight for issuers. Policymakers now view asset-backed stablecoins differently from volatile cryptocurrencies, arguing they carry significantly lower risk profiles.

Critics, including CoinFund president Chris Perkins, have long contended that the Basel rules act as a “chokepoint,” making it prohibitively expensive for banks to engage with crypto. “It’s a very nuanced way of suppressing activity,” Perkins said earlier this year.
Diverging Approaches Across Jurisdictions

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While the United States is considering revisions before implementation, other regions are taking different paths. The European Union’s MiCA framework already allows stablecoins to be treated in line with their underlying assets, such as cash and short-term government bonds.

The Basel Committee’s forthcoming update could redefine how global banks approach tokenized finance — potentially opening the door to broader institutional participation in digital assets under more nuanced risk-weighting rules.