Considering the recent inquiries on virtual currency usage in the international and domestic markets, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) wishes to inform the public of the risks associated with investing in Virtual Currencies. “Virtual Currencies (VCs)” are digital tokens created by private entities that can be obtained online through mining, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) or through Virtual Currency Exchanges. VCs are also commonly referred to as cryptocurrencies. Popular VCs include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin. While VCs have their own value denominations such as bitcoins for Bitcoin and ethers for Ethereum, they are usually valued in VC Exchanges in currencies issued by Central Banks, e.g., US dollar (USD), Japanese Yen, etc. However, it is important to note that VCs are not issued by Central Banks and are also not generally backed by underlying assets. Therefore, their values are determined by speculation of the public on VC Exchanges.
