Stablecoin issuers poised to be banks of the future on road to adoption
Stablecoins are destined to grow, experts suggest, but are regulations the only way for the market to reach its full potential? There is no denying the fact that the crypto market has grown from strength to strength over the course of 2021, as is best highlighted by the total capitalization of the industry recently hitting the $3-trillion mark, albeit for a relatively brief period of time. That said, stablecoins, a class of cryptos that have their value pegged to a fiat currency, have seen their usage increase dramatically in recent months thanks, in large part, to their ability to help....
Related News
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 U.S. Treasury Department proposed regulating stablecoin issuers as banking institutions, which may be a great idea if stablecoin issuers are offered the same privileges as regulated banks. US Treasury Department Report: Stablecoins Regulation Is Urgently Needed The rise of stablecoins within the crypto ecosystem serves as a glaring reminder that cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have outgrown their humble beginnings, gradually positioning themselves as challengers of brick and mortar finance’s existing hegemony. With the market capitalization of stablecoins expanding at....
"There's a real recognition that as these payment stablecoins grow, they could grow at internet scale relatively quickly," Circle CEO said. Issuers of stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) may soon be required to work under the same regulations as banks, but that seemingly doesn’t frighten the CEO of the USDC-issuer Circle.Commenting on the Biden administration’s proposal to work on a bank-like regulation for stablecoin issuers, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire took a supportive stance for the recommendation. He highlighted that proposal’s aim to regulate dollar stablecoin issuers in....
The OCC published guidance allowing U.S. banks to work with stablecoin issuers. Meanwhile, the ECB thinks the term stablecoin can be "misleading."
A securities affiliate of Spanish banking group Banco Santander is predicting bitcoin will have a significant impact on the legacy finance ecosystem should it see wider adoption. The report, published earlier this week, stems from a meeting involving Santander researchers, Santander Investment Securities, Brazilian bitcoin brokerage Mercado Bitcoin and local investors. While short, the publication offers a take on the risks (or opportunities) card issuers, acquirers, exchanges and banks would face in a future should the use of digital currency become more mainstream. Perhaps most at risk,....