Stablecoins
How are banks approaching dollar-backed digital assets (stablecoins)?
Stablecoins have moved from the edge of the
Banks are testing stablecoins for cross-border payments, liquidity management, and digital wallets. Some are also exploring how stablecoins can support interbank transactions or be issued directly by regulated institutions. As the landscape takes shape, stablecoins are starting to look less like an experiment and more like infrastructure.
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In global news this week, the European Central Bank weighs in on fractured crypto regs, China's digital wallets come to Qatar, Amazon brings buy now/pay later to Egypt, and more.
July 6
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The nine banks in the group are experimenting with lending, secondary market and payments activities on the Provenance blockchain as they seek ways to perform basic banking tasks more efficiently.
July 6
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The Singapore-based crypto lender that announced a freeze on withdrawals on Monday said it has signed a tentative agreement to be acquired by rival Nexo.
July 5
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FTX US, the crypto exchange co-founded by the billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, signed an agreement with BlockFi that includes an option to purchase the crypto lender for as much as $240 million.
July 1
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"It's probably the only asset class where maybe the client knows more than the advisor right now," Maxwell Lane, head of product for Flourish, said at Financial Planning's Invest conference.
July 1
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FTX, the digital-asset exchange co-founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, is nearing an agreement to buy BlockFi after extending a credit line to the beleaguered crypto lending platform, according to people familiar with the matter.
June 30
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The number of active cryptocurrency users at Bank of America has declined by more than half amid the prolonged rout in the digital-asset market.
June 30
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An accounting bulletin from the markets regulator is making it harder for bank regulators to give banks clarity in how they can provide crypto custody services.
June 29
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Vast Bank, Silvergate Capital and Northern Trust are among the banks that continue to build out digital-asset services, undeterred by extreme volatility in digital coin prices.
June 27
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In its semiannual risk report, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said it was working to provide clarity on the legality and soundness related to digital assets.
June 23
The first three months of the year coincide with the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office. Investors are likely to be more interested in banks' outlooks amid swings in tariff policy than the first-quarter results.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How are banks approaching dollar-backed digital assets (stablecoins)?
Stablecoins have moved from the edge of the crypto, world to the center of policy and banking conversations. As regulators and banks weigh their role in payments, settlement, and reserves, this page follows the developments — from early pilots to proposed legislation.
Banks are testing stablecoins for cross-border payments, liquidity management, and digital wallets. Some are also exploring how stablecoins can support interbank transactions or be issued directly by regulated institutions. As the landscape takes shape, stablecoins are starting to look less like an experiment and more like infrastructure.
Why are banks paying attention to stablecoins?
Stablecoins are increasingly viewed as a potential upgrade to legacy payments systems. Banks are evaluating them for settlement, remittances, cross-border transactions, and tokenized deposit models.Are banks issuing their own stablecoins?
Some are exploring the option. Institutions like JPMorgan (with JPM Coin) and new entrants like PayPal are piloting bank-issued stablecoins, while others are watching regulatory developments before moving forward.How do stablecoins impact compliance and risk?
Issues include KYC/AML enforcement, cybersecurity, operational risk, and how reserve assets are held and reported. Banks exploring stablecoin activity must weigh both technological benefits and regulatory scrutiny.How are regulators responding to stablecoin innovation?
Congress is debating stablecoin-specific bills focused on reserve backing, issuer licensing, and oversight. The Federal Reserve, OCC, and state regulators are also shaping how bank involvement in stablecoin activity is supervised.How are banks using stablecoin?
Banks are using stablecoins to speed up cross-border payments, manage liquidity across global branches in real time, and test new forms of settlement between institutions. Some are integrating stablecoins into retail-facing digital wallets, while others are exploring interbank networks built on tokenized payments. These efforts are less about crypto speculation and more about making money move faster, with greater transparency and fewer intermediaries.- Real-time cross-border payments
- Internal liquidity management
- Retail-facing digital wallets
- Interbank tokenized payment networks
Top banks investing in stablecoin
List of institutions with greatest investment in stablecoin:- JPMorgan Chase – JPM Coin
- Custodia Bank – Avit Tokens
- Citigroup - Citi Token Services
- Societe Generale - USD CoinVertible
- Bank of America - Name yet to be released
- Fifth Third - Name yet to be released
- U.S. Bancorp - Name yet to be released