BIS Paper Says There's Potential to Embed Regulation Into Stablecoin Systems

The need to regulate global stablecoins like libra doesn't mean authorities can't embrace innovation, according to according to a BIS working paper.

AccessTimeIconNov 25, 2020 at 9:31 a.m. UTC
Updated Aug 19, 2021 at 5:50 a.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

Regulatory responses to private, "global" stablecoins like libra need to take into account the potential of the technology in payments, according to economists at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

In a new working paper published Tuesday, Raphael Auer and Jon Frost, with Melbourne Law School finance lawyer Douglas Arner, drew a line between centralized and decentralized stablecoins, and said the potential of libra to quickly be adopted by hundreds of millions of Facebook product users means regulators will need to adapt quickly.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • But the need to protect economies, the monetary system and consumers "does not preclude public authorities themselves from embracing innovation." Global stablecoins offer benefits in cross-border payments in particular, according to the paper, and can challenge existing types of payment in e-commerce.

    Stablecoins are generally cryptocurrencies that attempt to maintain a value linked to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, or other assets.

    The paper argues that technology in general offers the potential to increase supervision and provides the necessary tools for implementing and enforcing financial regulation. Specifically, stablecoins present the option to implement supervisory requirements and frameworks into the systems that operate them, paving a way for "embedded supervision."

    "Direct automated provision of data as a licensing or registration requirement for digital payment systems and markets provides an important opportunity to better use technology to achieve regulatory and supervisory objectives as well as reduce costs for market participants," the authors said.

    Stablecoins, particularly decentralized ones, also bring the possibility of building "a robust monetary instrument" into blockchain applications, such as for programmable money.

    The paper further examined whether alternative methods of payment, such as central bank digital currencies or fast payment systems, would be better suited to for the "functions that stablecoins seek to address," concluding they may be more effective "in many cases."

    Still, baking frameworks for supervising and monitoring transactions directly into stablecoin systems has the potential to enhance the achievement of regulatory objectives, the authors said.

    Ironically, the technology was "initially ... targeted with making the role of regulation unnecessary," they wrote.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.



    Read more about