The Supreme Court Wednesday allowed banks and financial institutions to provide services related to cryptocurrencies by setting aside the RBI circular of 2018 which had prohibited them.
Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of their units and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice R F Nariman, said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circular is liable to be set aside on the ground of “proportionality”.
“Accordingly, the writ petitions are allowed and the circular dated April 6, 2018 is set aside,” said the bench, also comprising justices Aniruddha Bose and V Ramasubramanian.
“When the consistent stand of RBI is that they have not banned VCs (virtual currencies) and when the Government of India is unable to take a call despite several committees coming up with several proposals including two draft bills, both of which advocated exactly …