The European Union’s banking watchdog has introduced
rules for the regulation of cryptocurrency and stablecoin markets. The European
Banking Authority (EBA) has proposed minimum capital and liquidity requirements
for issuers of stablecoins and other digitized tokens.
The EBA’s proposal, published today (Wednesday), is
designed to ensure that issuers of stablecoins backed by currencies have
sufficient funds for investors to redeem in case of losses. This move aims to
establish a framework for the stablecoin industry and provide safeguards
against potential crises.
Key to the proposed regulations is the requirement
for issuers to maintain liquidity for the reserve of assets that back the
stablecoin reserves. These assets must meet specific criteria, ensuring their
quality, and only eligible assets of high enough quality can be utilized.
The primary goal of the new requirements is to align
with Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA)’s objective of monitoring and
preventing potential risks from the widespread use of asset-referenced tokens
(ARTs) and e-money tokens (EMTs) in non-EU currencies as a means of exchange,
which could impact monetary policy and sovereignty within the region.
The consultation period for these proposals extends
until February 8, 2024. Interested parties can submit their comments on the
EBA’s consultation page. Furthermore, the EBA will conduct a virtual…