The European Banking Authority (EBA) — the European Union’s banking watchdog — has proposed a new set of guidelines for stablecoin issuers that will set minimum capital and liquidity requirements.
The new liquidity guidelines aim to ensure the stablecoin can be quickly redeemed even during turbulent market conditions to avoid the risk of bank runs and contagion in a crisis.
Under the proposed liquidity guidelines, stablecoin issuers must offer any stablecoin backed by a currency that is fully redeemable at par to investors. The official proposal by the EBA noted that the stablecoin liquidity guidelines will act as a liquidity stress test for stablecoin issuers.
The EBA believes the stress test will highlight any shortcomings and lack of liquidity for the stablecoin, which can help the authority to only approve fully-backed stablecoins with enough of a liquidity buffer. The guidelines state:
“The liquidity stress testing will help issuers of tokens to better manage their reserve of assets and generally their liquidity risk. Based on the outcome of the liquidity stress testing, the EBA or, where applicable, the relevant competent authority/supervisor, may decide to strengthen the liquidity requirements of the issuer.”
Once approved, the guidelines are set to come into effect from early 2024. After implementing the guidelines, the authorities will have the power to strengthen the liquidity requirements of the relevant issuer to cover those risks based on the outcome of the liquidity stress testing.
The proposed liquidity rules are aimed at issuers of stablecoins, which can be non-bank institutions, requiring them to meet the same safeguards and avoid unfair capital or liquidity advantages over banks. Currently, the proposal is in the consultation phase, where the general public can give their input. The public consultation phase is open for three months until a public hearing is scheduled on Jan. 30, 2024.
The US is seeking the forfeiture of 20.2 BTC seized by the Dallas FBI from the Chaos ransomware group, adding to the country’s proposed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Donald Trump has reignited his row with London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan after calling him a “nasty person” who has done “a terrible job”.
During an hour-long news conference with Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland, the US president hit out at the Labour mayor, who has responded with his own snipey remarks.
Asked if he would visit London during his state visit in September, Mr Trump said: “I will, I’m not a fan of your mayor, I think he’s done a terrible job.
“A nasty person, I think.”
The prime minister then interrupted and said: “He’s a friend of mine.”
But the president added: “I think he’s done a terrible job but I will certainly visit London, I hope so.”
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Sir Sadiq’s spokesperson then released a statement saying: “Sadiq is delighted that President Trump wants to come to the greatest city in the world.
“He’d see how our diversity makes us stronger not weaker; richer, not poorer.
“Perhaps these are the reasons why a record number of Americans have applied for British citizenship under his presidency.”
Image: Sir Sadiq Khan was knighted in June. Pic: PA
They noted that Sir Sadiq has won three mayoral elections, including when Mr Trump lost the US election in 2020.
This is not the first time Mr Trump and Sir Sadiq have locked horns.
Sir Sadiq then described Mr Trump as a “poster boy for racists”.
And in November 2024, after Mr Trump won his second term, Sir Sadiq said many Londoners would be “fearful” about what it would “mean for democracy”.
However, as Sir Keir tried to show diplomacy with Mr Trump after becoming PM, Sir Sadiq said he “wanted to work closely with the American president” ahead of his inauguration in January.
The London mayor said as somebody “who believes in democracy, and voting and elections, we should recognise the fact that Donald Trump is the elected president of the United States”.
But he added: “Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this president is different from the last time he was president.”
The SEC delayed decisions on the Truth Social Bitcoin ETF and Grayscale’s Solana Trust, extending review periods as the US Congress moves with crypto regulation.