Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 (G20) agreed to advance digital asset regulation and establish clearer conditions for innovation in the sector while maintaining financial stability.
Participants in the second G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting of 2026 in Asheville, the U.S., identified digital assets as one area for modernizing financial regulation. The G20 said new regulatory and supervisory frameworks should create conditions for the industry’s development while preserving financial stability and confidence in monetary and payment systems.
Cross-border payments will be another focus of the G20’s work. Finance ministers and central bank governors called on G20 members to implement measures outlined in the relevant G20 roadmap. Priorities include:
- extending the operating hours of large-value payment systems;
- broader adoption of the ISO 20022 standard;
- simplifying cross-border transfers of financial services data while taking into account information security requirements and national laws.
G20 representatives also discussed stablecoin regulation during the meeting. They didn’t adopt any new specific rules for the sector, as the G20 is awaiting the results of work by the Financial Stability Board (FSB). The FSB is analyzing the implications of using global stablecoins in cross-border transactions, the availability of data on the segment, and potential issues associated with their use.
In addition to digital asset and stablecoin regulation, G20 participants identified several other areas of work in the financial sector:
- Modernizing financial regulation. G20 representatives supported updating regulatory and supervisory frameworks while maintaining financial stability. The FSB is analyzing changes underway across jurisdictions and developing principles for further modernization of financial regulation.
- Use of AI technologies in the financial sector. The FSB is preparing a document outlining practices for the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). The G20 also stressed the need to consider the potential risks that widespread adoption of AI technologies could pose to the financial sector and other industries.
- AML controls for virtual asset transactions. The G20 called on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to prioritize jurisdictions with significant levels of virtual asset activity and push for effective implementation of FATF standards. Participants also supported risk-based supervision to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
- Combating fraud. Participants noted the growing threat of illicit financial flows linked to scam centers and criminals’ use of AI technologies. The G20 supported FATF’s work to expand public-private partnerships and information sharing to identify and disrupt such transactions more quickly.
In a broader context, the G20 views digital assets and AI technologies as potential sources of productivity growth. Participants said investment in artificial intelligence, computing capacity, and digital infrastructure could accelerate the adoption of new technologies and improve economic efficiency. The G20 also stressed the need to account for the associated financial and sector-specific risks.
In 2023, G20 members unanimously adopted global standards for cryptocurrency market regulation presented by the FSB. They also began preparations to implement the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) for tax transparency.
