STABLECOIN DIGEST 29.11.2019
Regulation and monetary policy
The Quest for a Pan-European Approach to Cryptocurrency
The European Union and its related financial institutions have already produced regulatory regimes that guide equities, fixed income and derivatives trading across large portions of the continent. Digital currencies are next.
Thailand: Cryptocurrency Law Will Change in 2020 to Stay ‘Competitive’
Lawmakers in Thailand plan to reform cryptocurrency laws after voicing concerns that they have made the country uncompetitive.
As local English-language news outlet Bangkok Post reported on Nov. 25, Thailand’s regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) wants to reconsider its crypto policy in 2020.
Germany: New Proposed Law Would Legalize Banks Holding Bitcoin
https://cointelegraph.com/news/germany-new-proposed-law-would-legalize-banks-holding-bitcoin
A new bill in Germany could enable banks to support the sale and custody of Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies by 2020.
German news agency Handelsblatt reported on Nov. 27 that the bill now requires consensus from the country’s 16 states, having successfully passed through the Bundestag, the German federal parliament.
French central bank floats European CBDC
https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/34839/french-central-bank-floats-european-cbdc
France's central bank is urging Europe to explore the development of a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Swiss Executive Branch Calls for Improved Regulations for Blockchain
https://cointelegraph.com/news/swiss-executive-branch-calls-for-improved-regulations-for-blockchain
According to an official announcement released on Nov. 27, the Federal Council adopted a dispatch explaining its priorities for improving blockchain and DLT legislation. The proposal targets legal certainty in the sector, as well as eliminating barriers for blockchain-based applications and reducing the risk of abuse.
Fidelity granted license to offer crypto services by NY regulator
https://born2invest.com/articles/fidelity-granted-license-to-offer-crypto-services-by-ny-regulator/
Fidelity has been granted a trust license to offer crypto services (trading and custody of bitcoin) to institutional investors based in New York. The license was granted by the New York State Department of Financial Services, as the asset management group continues to woo cautious institutional investors into the “Wild West” of digital assets.
Competitors
Saga Unveils A Stablecoin With A Twist
https://cryptodaily.co.uk/2019/11/saga-unveils-stablecoin-twist
Saga Monetary Technologies, better known as Saga, has thrown its hat into the stablecoin ring, unveiling a new ERC20 token that is backed by a basket of national currencies. Saga’s offering comes with a twist, however: it incorporates an elastic issuance model, thanks to a monetary mechanism that emulates the IMF’s SDR. Backed by a number of high profile VCs, and with $30m in private funding, Saga hopes that its eponymous token can succeed where other digital assets have floundered.
sUSD is now listed on Kyber!
https://blog.synthetix.io/susd-is-now-listed-on-kyber/
Gemini Expands into Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) with Nifty Gateway™ Acquisition
Analytics and opinions
ECB Board Member: Global Stablecoins Pose Risks to a ‘Fragmented’ Europe
European Central Bank (ECB) board member Benoit Coeure has warned that global stablecoins remain untested and raise potential risks across multiple policy domains.
BRICS Nations Discuss Shared Crypto to Break Away From USD and SWIFT
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, or the BRICS economic bloc, are engaging in discussions to issue cross-national digital money in order to reduce the dependence of their economies on the United States, as reported by Cointelegraph on Nov. 14.
Stablecoins Can Temper US Dollar Hegemony Risks, Says Non-Profit Exec
Stablecoins have the potential to temper the systemic threats posed by the United States dollar’s domination of global foreign currency reserves, according to an opinion piece published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
US Fed Weighs Up Potential CBDC as Countermove Against China
The United States Federal Reserve is now taking the concept of an official dollar stablecoin seriously.
Markets have heard more frequent guidance from the Fed on cryptocurrencies in recent years, and thanks to two curious U.S. representatives — French Hill and Bill Foster — this guidance now includes an enlightening response from Fed Chairman Jay Powell to their letter on a central bank digital currency, or CBDC.
Stablecoins is an answer to the trade deficit and dollar dominance – Opinion
Stablecoins may help to reduce risks to the global economy.
The digital currencies should bet compatible and interoperable.
Central Bank of Russia: Stablecoins Will Compete with Stock Market https://ihodl.com/topnews/2019-11-28/central-bank-russia-stablecoins-will-compete-stock-market/
The central bank of the Russian Federation expects that stablecoins to become a highly-potential asset that will eventually compete with the traditional stock market.
Digital Currency – A Better Substitute to Cash says ECB Official
https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/digital-currency-a-better-substitute-to-cash-says-ecb-official/
Benoit Coeure, an outgoing executive board member gave a remarkable statement at a joint sitting held by the European Central Bank and the National Bank of Belgium arguing the superiority of the digital currency with respect to cash.
He said that the bank is already on the quest to reveal all the concealed factors which makes the digital currency a great potential asset in the current financial system.
New projects, partnerships, and investments
What is China’s digital currency plan?
https://www.ft.com/content/e3f9c3c2-0aaf-11ea-bb52-34c8d9dc6d84
China is aiming to be the first country in the world to launch a digital currency, after five years of research by a team in its central bank. The project is still shrouded in secrecy. There have been few details about what form a new sovereign digital currency might take, how it will affect banks and businesses and when it might be launched.
HSBC to Digitize Private Placement Records to Track $20B in 2020
British banking giant HSBC plans to move $20 billion worth of assets to Digital Vault, a new blockchain-based custody platform by March 2020. By deploying the platform, the global investment bank aims to digitize paper-based records of private placements in order to increase standardization and speed up processes in the growing industry.
Neutrino stablecoin launched for Waves ecosystem
Neutrino is a cryptocurrency with a stable price, regulated by the Neutrino Protocol algorithm and backed by an underlying token and smart contract. In other words, it is a hybrid of a cryptocurrency-backed and an algorithmic stablecoin.
Amount of Ether Locked in DeFi Is Growing Despite Price Slump
ttps://cointelegraph.com/news/amount-of-ether-locked-in-defi-is-growing-despite-price-slump
The number of Ether (ETH) locked in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications reached an all-time high of 2.7 million, according to DeFi monitoring resource DeFiPulse, and has been steadily growing since the end of June.
Ripple Ups MoneyGram Investment by $20 Million
https://bitcoinerx.com/cryptocurrency/ripple-ups-moneygram-investment-by-20-million/
Ripple invested another US$20 million into MoneyGram, upping its total investment to $50 million.