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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The financial services firm based in Houston tried to buy a Chicago community bank three years ago as part of a plan to offer traditional banking and digital asset services on one platform. With Illinois state approval secured, it now awaits a decision from the Fed.
November 17
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BNY estimates the market for stablecoins, tokenized deposits and other assets will reach a combined value of $3.6 trillion in four years, while Standard Chartered says the entire banking industry will soon be "tokenized." The trend is creating pressure to update strategies and technology.
November 17
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The government shutdown is over, and Congress gets back to its regular business. For banks, the biggest-ticket issues are ongoing deliberations on raising deposit insurance and shaping a crypto market structure bill.
November 13
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Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. acting Chair Travis Hill said Thursday morning that the agency's first proposed rules under recently passed stablecoin legislation should be published by the end of the year.
November 13
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Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said Wednesday that the central bank will soon issue a request for information on a nascent proposal to offer "skinny" payment accounts to eligible institutions and is aiming to finalize a rule by the fourth quarter of 2026.
November 12
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The company appears to be the first nationally chartered bank to offer crypto trading and traditional banking in the same app.
November 11
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Crypto is slowly but surely being integrated into the banking applications consumers trust and use every day. It's not the crypto revolution purists imagined, but it's very good news for consumers and bankers alike.
November 7
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As Standard Chartered boss Bill Winters says cash will soon fully give way to digital currency, Western Union, Worldline, Coinbase and Ripple entered separate collaborations to bring digital assets to wider audiences. That and more in the American Banker global payments and fintech roundup.
November 5
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The Minneapolis-based bank is still exploring stablecoin options outside of custody services, but sees opportunity in trade finance, CEO Gunjan Kedia said at The Clearing House Annual Conference in New York Wednesday.
November 5
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The ICBA opposed Coinbase's filing for a trust charter in a public letter as Comptroller Jonathan Gould defended the fintech charter process on Tuesday.
November 4
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