Open AccessThe Regulation of Cryptocurrencies under Ethiopian Legal Norms
Author(s) -
Messay Asgedom Gobena
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
mizan law review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2309-902X
pISSN - 1998-9881
DOI - 10.4314/mlr.v15i1.6
Subject(s) - cryptocurrency , money laundering , payment , payment system , virtual currency , payment service provider , business , government (linguistics) , electronic money , goods and services , law , law and economics , economics , finance , political science , market economy , monetary economics , computer security , linguistics , philosophy , currency , computer science
Cryptocurrencies are a subset of virtual currencies that have been devised for anonymous payments made entirely independent of governments and traditional financial institutions. The payment system of cryptocurrencies is expanding at a rapid pace and has reached Ethiopia. This article examines the extent to which cryptocurrencies are regulated under Ethiopia’s national payment system and anti-money laundering legal norms. The study has employed doctrinal research supported by in-depth interviews. During the last decade, Ethiopia has adopted several legal frameworks that govern different aspects of the payments landscape, most notably regarding payment services and electronic money. The country has anti-money laundering legal norms that are embodied in domestic laws and international and regional instruments that it has ratified. However, these legal norms have strategic deficiencies in regulating cryptocurrencies. Thus, the government of Ethiopia should consider enacting a comprehensive law that regulates the payment system of cryptocurrencies.