An Iranian lawmaker wants his country’s central bank to take bitcoin seriously.

Representative Mohammad Hossein Farhangi (Tabriz), speaking Tuesday before the nation’s parliament, called on the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnaser Hemmati, to handle oversight of bitcoin, according to the Tasnim news agency. 

Calling proper management of bitcoin a “good opportunity for the country,” Farhangi warned against ceding its potential to financial institutions. “Take the issue of bitcoin seriously,” he said.

“We do not understand that the government has entrusted the monitoring of bitcoins to the Ministry of Industry and Mines,” he said, “because the central bank must oversee digital currencies.”

Editor’s note: Statements in this article have been translated from Farsi.

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