The Prudential Authority of the South Africa apex regulatory bank, the Reserve Bank of South Africa sent out guidelines to its subsidiaries in an effort to prevent illicit activities, encouraging banks not to cut all ties with cryptocurrency.
It suggested that such an act could cause greater risk in the long run. South Africa Reserve Bank is the Central Bank of South Africa.
The official notice was signed by Prudential Authority CEO Fundi Tshazibana. In the past, certain South African banks had cut ties with crypto asset service providers (CASPs) — as they are called in the document — due to unclear regulations or a high-risk factor.
However, the notice highlights that risk assessment doesn’t mean dropping crypto entirely:
“Risk assessment does not necessarily imply that institutions should seek to avoid risk entirely (also referred to as de-risking), for example, through wholesale termination of client relationships which may include CASPs.”
Also Read: South Africa Crypto Exchange Firms Embrace The New Financial Asset Label For Crypto In SA.
It goes on to say such a move could even be a “threat” to general financial integrity, as it may limit the possibilities of treating issues such as money laundering.
In late July, the Reserve Bank released an assessment of risks within the local banking sector. According to the report, cryptocurrencies and virtual assets were included in the top 10 threats identified by the top local banks.
South Africa is home to crypto projects such as Bitcoin Ekasi, a township that introduced Bitcoin as a means of bolstering the financial independence of local underserved communities and Unravel Surf Travel, a South African-based travel pro-crypto travel company.
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