G-24 and AFI urge proportionate stablecoin rules as FATF flags compliance gaps
A G-24/AFI Policymakers' Roundtable held alongside the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings brought central bank governors, FATF and BIS officials together to debate how emerging markets should regulate stablecoins. The discussion weighed financial inclusion gains against consumer protection, monetary policy and financial integrity risks, with FATF citing widespread shortfalls in virtual asset supervision.
- Stablecoins now have a combined market capitalisation of more than 300 billion US dollars, according to AFI CEO Alfred Hannig.
- FATF President Giles Thomson said 65 per cent of countries assessed have not yet fully met FATF standards for virtual assets.
- The roundtable took place on 13 October as part of the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok.
- Central bank governors from Uzbekistan and Trinidad and Tobago argued stablecoins should be treated as a monetary policy matter, not only a market conduct issue.
- The discussion drew on AFI's multi-country research program run with the University of Luxembourg, the Florence School of Banking and Finance, and Canada's IDRC.