The International Monetary Fund said crypto-related flows in Nepal have risen sharply despite a legal ban, and urged the country to strengthen oversight and build a regulatory framework. In an annual consultation report, the IMF flagged growing stablecoin and unsecured crypto flows from 2019 to 2024 and estimated significant cross-border activity. It called for rules aligned with international standards and urged Nepal to complete its FATF implementation plan and exit the grey list.

Apollo Global Management chief economist Torsten Slok said there is no evidence so far that AI is reducing jobs. Citing the ADP National Employment Report, he said private-sector employment is still rising and companies are hiring workers needed to adopt AI. He wrote that demand for AI implementation specialists is increasing and data center expansion is pushing up wages for AI talent and prices for semiconductors, equipment and energy.