stablecoins

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released the final draft of the crypto asset framework. This new regulation is set to bring most crypto activities under the regulation of the Financial Services and Markets Act by October 25, 2027.According to the proposal, any institution that holds customer crypto assets for more than 24 hours or has the ability to revoke customer permissions will be considered a regulated custodian and must hold a full safeguarding license. Validators and node operators that provide value-added features such as yield or reward reinvestment will lose their technical exemptions. In addition, stablecoin issuers within the UK must control the entire lifecycle from issuance to redemption. Relevant institutions must submit authorization applications between September 30, 2026, and February 28, 2027.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK is seeking feedback on specific regulatory activities for digital assets under its cryptocurrency roadmap.This consultation covers how activities such as stablecoin issuance, trading platforms, custody, and staking will fall under regulatory oversight. The consultation will close on June 3, 2026, and cryptocurrency businesses can apply for FCA authorization starting September 30, 2026. The FCA stated that the consultation on the rules for the future cryptocurrency asset regime is largely complete, and a policy statement will be released this summer. Before the new legislative regime is implemented in 2027, cryptocurrency assets remain largely unregulated in the UK, except for financial promotions and financial crime purposes.

JPMorgan analysts have stated that negotiations for the U.S. "Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act" (i.e., the CLARITY Act) have entered the final stages, with both sides reaching compromises on a few remaining contentious points. The number of disputes has been reduced from over a dozen to 2-3 core issues, with discussions on stablecoin rewards being "in a good place." While banks express concerns about stablecoins offering similar yields to deposits, there is an overall bipartisan compromise trend. JPMorgan believes that "there is no perfect bill," and once passed, the bill will provide important regulatory clarity for the integration of digital assets into the U.S. financial system.The "Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act" is currently in advanced negotiations in the U.S. Senate, with Senate staff stating that the draft is "very close" to resolution, but the final text has not yet been released, nor has a formal vote been scheduled. The remaining major disagreements focus on stablecoin rewards, DeFi regulation, and token classification issues. Although optimism is rising, there is still a risk of delays due to the 2026 midterm elections, which could lead to a more uncertain political environment. If the bill is ultimately passed, it will delineate the regulatory authority between the SEC and CFTC, providing a long-term regulatory framework for stablecoins, DeFi, and the entire cryptocurrency industry.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that Circle has expanded its collaboration with Upbit operator Dunamu to support the compliant adoption of digital assets and has enhanced its partnership with Bithumb to improve stablecoin infrastructure and raise market awareness of stablecoins.Jeremy Allaire mentioned that South Korea is rapidly advancing regulations on stablecoins and digital assets, with a high local cryptocurrency adoption rate. During his time in Seoul, he also met with representatives from KakaoGroup, Coinone, Hashed, Shinhan Bank, KB Financial Group, and Woori Bank.

According to Cointelegraph, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it is seeking industry feedback on guidance for the future regulatory framework for crypto assets in the UK, aimed at facilitating the implementation of a comprehensive regulatory framework that will take effect on October 25, 2027.According to the announcement, this consultation will last until June 3, 2026, and aims to help businesses understand the impact of the new regulations on their operations, providing compliance guidance for key areas such as stablecoin issuance, crypto trading, custody, and staking.The FCA stated that it hopes to establish a "competitive and sustainable" crypto market, allowing compliant institutions to better serve UK users. The FCA also disclosed that the application process for relevant crypto business licenses is expected to open in September 2026 and continue until February 2027.All institutions providing crypto asset services will need to obtain authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) in the future, and previous registration under anti-money laundering frameworks will not automatically exempt them. This guidance consultation is seen as an important step in the UK's gradual improvement of its crypto regulatory system, marking an accelerated transition from partial regulation to a comprehensive licensing system.

Ripple has partnered with Kyobo Life to launch a pilot project for tokenized government bonds, aiming to validate a blockchain-based government bond trading structure.The project issues and trades tokenized government bonds in a test network environment, achieving synchronized processing of trading and settlement, and utilizes stablecoins to test a 24-hour settlement mechanism to enhance trading speed and reduce settlement risk. The two parties have initiated technical feasibility testing starting from September 2024 and are assessing the stability of the entire process, including digital asset custody. At the same time, they are analyzing the regulatory environment in South Korea and studying the feasibility of integrating stablecoin settlements and tokenized bonds into the existing financial system. Ripple stated that this collaboration helps promote the establishment of institutional-level digital asset infrastructure in South Korea and supports its long-term strategic layout in the South Korean market.

JPMorgan CFO Jeremy Barnum stated during the earnings call that if regulatory rules are not aligned with traditional bank deposits, stablecoins may evolve into a "regulatory arbitrage" tool. He pointed out that some stablecoin models already exhibit deposit-like characteristics, such as providing incentives similar to yields, but are not subject to banking regulatory requirements like capital, liquidity, and consumer protection, which could create an unfair competitive environment. "If the same products are not regulated equally, it will open up arbitrage opportunities," Barnum said.Currently, U.S. legislation is pushing for a cryptocurrency regulatory framework, including the Clarity Act, to clarify the regulatory division of labor between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and to regulate the development of the stablecoin market. Additionally, whether to allow stablecoins to distribute reserve earnings to users has become a point of contention. Cryptocurrency companies, including Coinbase, support "interest-bearing stablecoins," while banks believe this would bring them closer to deposit products but lack corresponding regulatory constraints. JPMorgan expressed support for regulatory clarity but emphasized that "regulatory consistency" takes precedence over speed. At the same time, the bank is advancing product layouts, including JPM Coin and tokenized deposits, through its blockchain division Kinexys to modernize the payment system.

The U.S. banking industry has questioned the stablecoin yield report released by the White House, arguing that the conclusions of the report are based on incorrect issues.The White House Council of Economic Advisers' research report states that banning stablecoin yields would have a negligible impact on bank lending, only potentially increasing loans by about $2.1 billion. Sayee Srinivasan, chief economist of the American Bankers Association, and Yikai Wang, vice president, stated that the core policy concern is whether allowing stablecoins to generate yields would encourage deposit outflows, particularly from community banks to large institutions, thereby increasing financing costs and reducing local lending. The American Bankers Association acknowledges that the financial incentives to pursue high-yield stablecoins will prompt households and businesses to move funds out of banks. Currently, the cryptocurrency and banking industries are negotiating the terms of a Senate bill, with the prohibition of interest payments on stablecoins being a key point of contention.

Y Combinator has completed its first investment entirely in stablecoins, paying $500,000 USDC to the prediction market startup Totalis, completed through three transactions on the Solana blockchain: a $1 test payment, $124,999, and $375,000. The funds are held by the financial operations platform Ramp.Y Combinator President Garry Tan stated on X that YC will offer stablecoin payment options for any startup it invests in, not limited to crypto-related companies, and noted that the new track of financial revolution will not be built on ACH or wire transfers. YC crypto sector access partner Nemil Dalal had previously stated that stablecoin transfer costs are typically less than 1 cent, settling in less than 1 second, far superior to traditional cross-border wire transfers.

According to an article in the American Bankers Association (ABA) Journal, experts including the ABA's chief economist point out that the recent research report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) on the issuance of yield from payment stablecoins raises the wrong questions and may mislead policymakers.The CEA report mainly explores "how prohibiting the issuance of yield from payment stablecoins will affect bank lending," concluding that banning yields would only increase bank lending by about $1.2 billion, with minimal impact.However, the ABA believes that the real policy concern is not the consequences of "prohibition," but the risks that may arise from "allowing" the issuance of yield from payment stablecoins: accelerating deposit outflows, allowing yields to stimulate households and businesses to move funds from bank deposits (especially community banks) to stablecoins, which would have a significant impact when the market size expands to $1-2 trillion. ABA analysis shows that loans in Iowa alone could decrease by $4.4 billion to $8.7 billion as a result.Impact on community banks: Deposit outflows will force community banks to replace funding with higher-cost wholesale financing (such as Federal Home Loan Bank advances), raising their funding costs and thereby reducing loans to local households and small businesses. It is not a harmless "reshuffling": The CEA believes that deposits are merely "reshuffled" within the banking system, with overall impact being minimal.However, the ABA points out that deposits flowing from community banks to a few large institutions or stablecoin reserve accounts will harm sectors that rely on relationship-based bank lending. The ABA believes that prohibiting the issuance of yield from payment stablecoins is a prudent protective measure that allows stablecoins to mature as a tool for payment innovation rather than becoming a source of economic risk that substitutes for insured deposits.

According to News1, the stablecoin issuer Circle has partnered with Dunamu, the operator of South Korea's largest virtual asset trading platform Upbit, to collaborate in the field of stablecoins and other digital assets.Dunamu stated that it has signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Circle and is discussing cooperation plans in the digital asset sector, including stablecoins, such as jointly promoting educational projects. This initiative aims to enhance market participants' access to information, thereby increasing the trustworthiness of South Korea's digital asset ecosystem.In particular, Dunamu plans to promote "healthy innovation" in the South Korean digital asset market through collaboration with Circle, which has consistently complied with U.S. regulations and continues to expand its business.

According to a report by the Korea Herald, the nominee for the governor of the Bank of Korea, Shin Hyun-sung, stated in a written response during a personnel hearing at the National Assembly that central bank digital currency (CBDC) and commercial bank deposit tokens based on its issuance should become the core of the digital currency ecosystem. Shin Hyun-sung expressed basic support for the introduction of a Korean won stablecoin but emphasized that maintaining trust in the currency is the most important.Regarding the issuing entity of the Korean won stablecoin, he believes that South Korea is not a reserve currency country, and compliance capability is crucial. Therefore, he suggested prioritizing the issuance by a bank-centered alliance, allowing non-bank institutions to participate, and gradually expanding later. Shin Hyun-sung holds a cautious attitude towards the claim that stablecoins can enhance foreign exchange trading efficiency, believing that it is still unclear whether blockchain can comply with capital and foreign exchange regulations. He also stated that crypto assets, including stablecoins, have failed to meet the core functions of currency such as a measure of value, medium of exchange, and store of value, asserting that crypto assets cannot replace fiat currency.

According to Asda Finance, the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, Paul Chan, stated that the authorities' licensing strategy is "small steps, quick progress," and will initially issue a small number of licenses. There needs to be practical application scenarios, and only after summarizing experiences post-launch will a second batch be issued.Stablecoins and digital assets are financial innovations that require encouragement for breakthroughs, but at the same time, safety must be ensured, and mechanisms must be in place to prevent money laundering, thus appropriate regulations are necessary. The benefits of stablecoins include decentralization and high efficiency, but they are merely a payment tool, not an investment tool.

HashKey Group Chairman Xiao Feng previously stated in an exclusive interview with Hong Kong Wen Wei Po that the issuance of the first batch of stablecoin licenses in Hong Kong is an important step for the local digital asset market. He pointed out that this move marks a further acceleration of Hong Kong's process of tokenizing fiat currency and fills a critical gap in the clearing and payment infrastructure of the digital financial system.In addition to serving cross-border payments and trade settlements, Hong Kong stablecoins will also play a core role as a medium for digital asset transactions. Xiao Feng suggested that, in the long run, their greater value lies in supporting micro, cross-border, and programmable payments between AI entities, and creating synergies with scenarios involving real-world assets (RWA) and on-chain clearing, helping Hong Kong occupy a more critical position in the global evolution of digital assets and digital financial systems.He also stated that HashKey's trading platform will adhere to the principles of openness and compliance, supporting stablecoin issuers and related products that meet regulatory requirements, and jointly promoting the healthy development of the ecosystem. Currently, HashKey is actively engaging in substantive cooperation discussions with licensed stablecoin issuers and welcomes stablecoin institutions planning to issue in compliance in Hong Kong to establish partnerships with them.As a core participant in Hong Kong's digital asset market, HashKey will leverage its existing licensed compliance system, fiat channels, and industry resources to support the trading launch of compliant stablecoins, liquidity support, payment scenario expansion, and the implementation of related application scenarios, promoting the orderly development of the industry ecosystem.