Stablecoin Issuers Need to Think Fast to Avoid the SEC’s Net
Tether is in some bother with the SEC. It has the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, an organization composed of the SEC, the CFTC, The Fed and The US Treasury announcing late last year that stablecoins, which include Tether should be considered as securities. If Tether is indeed classified by the SEC as a […]
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The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on Monday published a letter clarifying that national banks and federal savings associations can now hold reserves for stablecoin issuers in the country. According to the OCC’s interpretive letter, reserve accounts can either be funded through deposits from stablecoin issuers or deposits from individual stablecoin holders. It stressed that banks can hold such reserves provided that ”the issuer has sufficient assets backing the stablecoin in situations where there is a hosted wallet.” The letter responds to questions....
The report is also expected to clarify the regulatory jurisdiction of the Treasury Department CFTC with regards to stable tokens. U.S. regulatory bodies have reportedly agreed that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will lead the United States’ efforts to regulate the stablecoin sector. According to an Oct. 26 Bloomberg report citing anonymous sources “familiar with the matter,” the SEC has reached an agreement with other U.S. agencies to take the reins on proposing legislation and overseeing the stablecoin industry.The sources add that the SEC’s newfound “significant authority”....
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Stephen Lynch and Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia have introduced a bill that would require stablecoin issuers to secure bank charters and either obtain FDIC insurance or maintain full reserves to operate in the U.S.
The OCC published guidance allowing U.S. banks to work with stablecoin issuers. Meanwhile, the ECB thinks the term stablecoin can be "misleading."
U.S. stablecoin issuers might soon face liquidity, customer protection and asset reserve rules — and maybe even a deposit-insurance mandate like banks. Regulators around the world have been thinking seriously about the risks associated with stablecoins since 2019 but recently, concerns have intensified, particularly in the United States. In November, the United States’ President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, or PWG, issued a key report, raising questions about possible “stablecoin runs” as well as “payment system risk.” The U.S Senate followed up in December with hearings on....