Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo opens regional conference on crypto assets and digital money focused on policy and regulatory frameworks

The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo has opened a regional conference in Pristina on crypto assets and digital money, centred on policy and regulatory frameworks in a changing environment. The two day event brings together the International Monetary Fund, regional central banks, financial institutions, academics and digital finance experts. In opening remarks, Governor Ahmet Ismaili said rapid advances in crypto assets, digital forms of money, decentralized finance, artificial intelligence and modern payment systems are reshaping finance and require clear, proportionate and risk based frameworks that support innovation while preserving financial stability, consumer protection, market integrity and anti money laundering safeguards. Ismaili said these issues are particularly relevant for Western Balkan economies given their openness, close financial links and large remittance flows, and pointed to Kosovo's progress in modernising payment infrastructure, advancing fast payments and pursuing integration into the Single Euro Payments Area. In his keynote speech, IMF Financial Counsellor and Monetary and Capital Markets Department Director Tobias Adrian stressed the need for robust and harmonised policy and regulatory frameworks to address both the opportunities and risks of digital transformation in finance. The conference will continue with presentations and discussions involving regional central banks, IMF representatives, the financial sector and international partners, while the second day will include a meeting with local financial sector stakeholders, presentation of the IMF Global Financial Stability Report and a public discussion between Ismaili and Adrian at the University of Prishtina Faculty of Economics.