Interesting post by Steven Kelly (senior research associate at the Yale School of Management’s Program on Financial Stability) on the role of stablecoins in the financial system. The post was published in the FT (behind a paywall) but this link from his LinkedIn page seems to great access. Steven raises a number of concerns with stablecoins but the one I want to focus on is the argument that stablecoins can only be made safe by locking up an increasing share of the safe assets that have other uses in the financial system.
Here is a quote …
The market- and regulation-inspired migration towards safer crypto assets is making stablecoins more popular, but that means there are more investment vehicles gobbling up the safe assets that otherwise grease the wheels of the traditional financial system. Absent rehypothecation, stablecoins will be a [giant sucking sound][1] in the financial system: soaking up safe collateral and killing its velocity.
Steven Kelly, “Stablecoins do not make for a stable financial system”, Financial Times 11 August 2022
I am not a fan but I am also not opposed to stablecoins on principle so long as they are issued in a way that ensures their promise to holders is properly and transparently backed by safe assets. That said, I do think that Steven highlights an important consideration that needs to be thought through should stablecoins start to account for a greater share of the payment infrastructure that we all rely on.
This is an issue that I touched on previously but I do not see it getting the attention I think it deserves.
As always, let me know what I am missing.
Tony – From the Outside
From the outside 
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