What began as a niche corner of digital finance is now forcing the world’s top banking regulators back to the drawing board.
The explosive growth of stablecoins – tokens designed to mirror the value of traditional currencies – has raised new questions over how banks should be allowed to hold and manage them.
Erik Thedéen, governor of Sweden’s central bank and chair of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, said during meetings in Washington that regulators may have underestimated the pace at which stablecoins would evolve. When the Basel framework for crypto assets was drafted two years ago, he noted, the discussion focused largely on speculative assets like Bitcoin.
“Stablecoins were barely part of the conversation back then,” Thedéen reflected, hinting that the committee might now revisit its earlier stance.
Old Rules, New Market
The Basel Committee’s 2022 rulebook – set to take effect next year – placed most stablecoins in the same high-risk category as volatile cryptocurrencies. That meant banks would need to set aside equally heavy capital buffers, a move intended to shield the financial system from crypto-related losses.
But the market has changed. Stablecoins have become integral to digital trading, remittances, and settlement systems, with daily transaction volumes rivaling those of smaller national payment networks. Critics say treating them like speculative tokens no longer reflects reality – or economic logic.
Thedéen acknowledged that the issue has become urgent enough to merit a full review, though he stressed that any update would take time and require coordination among dozens of central banks and regulators.
Pushback From the Industry
Banks and financial lobby groups have been calling for relief, arguing that the current standards make it nearly impossible for them to compete in the digital asset space. The United States, which is developing its own stablecoin oversight under the proposed Genius Act, has also questioned whether Basel’s approach is still fit for purpose.
“Capital rules should evolve with technology,” said one European banking official familiar with the discussions, adding that many lenders want to engage with blockchain finance but are constrained by outdated frameworks.
A Changing Tone Among Regulators
Thedéen’s comments came alongside growing warnings from global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, which convened policymakers this week to discuss the stability risks of asset-backed cryptocurrencies. Officials now admit that the boundary between digital and traditional finance is disappearing faster than anticipated.
For regulators, the challenge is to adapt without opening the floodgates to risk. Stablecoins may have started as an experiment in liquidity – but they’re now shaping how the future of money itself is being defined.
Source: Bloomberg
