Foreword: METI Advisory wrote this report for SEBA Bank AG. Abstract: International regulators reacted strongly to the announcement of the GSC project Libra in June 2019 by BigTech Facebook. The resultant debate on the merits and threats of GSCs created a fundamental regulatory uncertainty regarding the possibilities for GSCs to be issued in the first place, effectively putting such projects on hold. In July 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB), acting on behalf of the G20, concluded the public consultation on how to regulate GSCs. The joint consideration of the consultation paper and the comments received on it indicate a fundamental endorsement of GSCs by international regulators. The debate moves on to the implementation stage, wherein the manner of implementation of GSCs along with the application of the specific regulatory provisions need to be defined. As a consequence, GSC projects—including Libra—can resume full steam, and improved financial inclusion as well as cheaper and faster processing of (international) payments get closer. Overall, this fundamental endorsement of GSCs provides blockchain-based finance with a further boost.
The regulatory endorsement of global stablecoins (GSCs) (August 2020)
Mattia Rattaggi