Former Finance Minister Urges Bundesbank to Consider Bitcoin as a Reserve Asset

Former German Finance Minister Christian Lindner called for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to be included in the reserves of the European Central Bank and the Bundesbank to enhance financial flexibility and keep pace with global trends.

According to what was reported by the German media Handelsblatt, Lindner He pointed out To the United States, where the incoming administration led by Donald Trump is looking to adopt a progressive approach to crypto assets, including discussions about… to merge Bitcoin is in the Federal Reserve’s reserves alongside traditional assets such as gold.

Lindner stressed that cryptocurrencies now account for a significant share of global wealth growth and warned that Germany and Europe risk being left behind if they do not take similar steps.

He believes that adding bitcoin to the country’s reserves could help bolster the financial stability of the central bank’s holdings — an idea that has recently emerged. I posed By many political figures around the world.

Lindner, who leads the Free Democratic Party, made his comments ahead of German parliamentary elections in February. The FDP has long been pushing for the adoption of cryptocurrencies, with its latest findings Election manifesto Emphasizing the importance of digital assets.

Conversely, Germany’s approach to cryptocurrencies has been remarkably cautious and has faced criticism from industry stakeholders for its reluctance to fully embrace digital assets.

Earlier this year, the German government sold about 50,000 bitcoins seized from the piracy movie site Movie2k.to, and authorities then transferred and sold the money over a period of about four weeks, from mid-June to early July.

At the time, the government ignored it Calls From German MP and Bitcoin advocate Johanna Kotard, who instead put forward the idea of ​​adopting Bitcoin as a strategic reserve currency to protect against potential risks in the traditional financial system.

Cotard also led “Bitcoin Strategies for Nation-States.” It happenedfeaturing Samson Mu, CEO of Bitcoin Technology, on January 3. The event brought together members of parliament and Bitcoin supporters to discuss the potential of the leading cryptocurrency asset as a financial instrument for the country.

However, despite these efforts and increased advocacy, the current government has remained largely quiet on the issue.

Doubts about Bitcoin reserve plans

Policymakers in Germany are not the only ones who are reluctant to embrace Bitcoin as a reserve asset. Japanese government recently It was rejected It advocates adopting Bitcoin as part of its foreign exchange reserves, citing concerns about volatility and limited understanding of global adoption trends.

South Korea is also adopting a similar approach, as hinted by Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byung-hwan, who… He said The country will monitor developments in the United States to assess how Bitcoin will be adopted as a reserve asset before making any final policy decisions.

However, some believe that the US may not follow through with its Bitcoin reserve plans despite the issuance of a bill foot Senator Cynthia Lummis proposed that the government take approximately 5% of the total supply of Bitcoin over a specified period.

According to CryptoQuant analyst, Ki Young Ju, it is improbable Bitcoin will be adopted as a reserve asset unless its global economic dominance is seriously threatened.

With the dollar retaining its status as the world’s primary reserve currency and US economic power remaining largely unchallenged, Young Ju believes there is little incentive for policymakers to turn towards Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, there are odds on whether the US will approve a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve during the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency. decreased to 29% on the Polymarket forecasting platform.