Nepal Banned Crypto — But People Keep Using It Anyway. Now the IMF Is Stepping In

WHY IT MATTERS

Imagine a country making it illegal to use a particular messaging app — but millions of people keep using it through workarounds anyway. That's essentially what's happening with crypto in Nepal. The IMF — a powerful global financial organization that advises countries on economic policy — is now telling Nepal that instead of just saying 'crypto is banned,' they need to actually track what's happening because people are using it regardless. This matters because when big institutions like the IMF start saying 'regulate it, don't just ban it,' it often leads to real policy changes that can affect how easily people in those countries can access and use cryptocurrency.