France's finance minister called a public debate on Bitcoin at the G20 Summit next year in Buenos Aires.
Speaking at the French news channel LCI and quoted by Reuters, Le Maire said that the "issue" of Bitcoin should form a topic for the international government forum, specifically with regard to regulation:
"I will propose to the next president of the G20, Argentina, that at the G20 summit in April we have a joint debate on the Bitcoin issue, obviously there is a risk of speculation, we need to consider and examine this and see how ... with everyone the other members of the G20 can regulate Bitcoin. "
The remarkable increase in Bitcoin prices this year has attracted more and more attention not only in conventional media, but also in government authorities around the world. However, individual governments around the world are approaching cryptocurrency and Blockchain technology more broadly and differently.
Some of the countries that already regulate the cryptocurrency include the United States and Japan. So far, only a few countries have instituted a total prohibition crypto, including Morocco and Bolivia. South Korea could do the same.
Last week, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen S. Poloz described how the "noise" around the cryptocurrency "keeps him awake at night," while a US regulator said the "impact" of Bitcoin on the Global economic policy was barely perceptible.
Underscoring the lack of global consensus on the cryptocurrency, the Bank of France Governor, Francois Villeroy de Galhau, countered the idea that Bitcoin is even a currency and should not be treated as such. At a conference in Beijing last month, he reportedly told attendees:
"We have to be clear: Bitcoin is not a currency in any way, or even a cryptocurrency is a speculative asset, its value and extreme volatility have no economic basis and are nobody's responsibility."