The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in the U.S. has greenlighted new accounting standards for the revelations of cryptocurrency holdings. Predicted for compulsory implementation by the end of fiscal year 2024, this change is one that can be seen as a potential stumbling block to broader corporate cryptocurrency adoption.
The standards introduced by the FASB, a non-governmental entity overseen by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) constitutes a significant shift from the historical norm of valuing digital assets solely on unrealized losses. It requires firms to apply a fair-value approach, evaluating certain cryptocurrencies based on market trading prices.
This shift in approach not only impacts companies’ financial reporting, bringing light to their gains and losses linked to cryptocurrency in every income report but also promises more transparency for investors for improved decision-making. One might argue these new standards are set to strike down barriers that impede the corporate adoption of cryptocurrencies as treasuries.
The founder and previous CEO of MicroStrategy, Michael Saylor, voiced his opinions about the development, emphasizing how it paves the way for easier corporate Bitcoin adoption. However, is it the whole truth?
There’s no doubt that there’s a chance that increased earnings volatility will occur for businesses that hold large cryptocurrency assets. However, this turbulence could indeed allow companies to record financial recoveries when cryptocurrency prices soar and serve as a valid counterweigh to the quintessentially volatile nature of the cryptocurrency markets.
Potential winners from this regulatory evolution could be Coinbase, investment firms, corporations such as MicroStrategy and Tesla. These entities, with their substantial cryptocurrency portfolios, stand to gain from more transparent and flexible financial reporting.
To adapt to these changes, financial accounts will allocate cryptocurrency in the category of “intangible assets”. Hence, it portrays the growing relevance of these digital assets in the finance world.
In many respects, these shifts are beneficial, providing more clarity and seemingly simplifying corporate adoption. However, volatility is the nature of the crypto beast, and so, the fine print reveals more than just a smoothed corporate adoption pathway. It tells a tale of possible economic turbulence, reconciled with potential financial recovery and a more dynamic investor decision-making landscape.
Source: Cryptonews
