• The European Commission seeks to ease restrictions on crypto holdings by proposing a 250% risk weight for stablecoins and tokenized assets, as part of wider banking reforms.
• Banks face amplified risks due to the transmission channels between the crypto-asset markets and traditional finance sector.
• The Commission plans to finalize a more comprehensive strategy after 2023, once global standards are in place.
EU Proposal Seeks to Lower Risk Weight for Stablecoins
The European Commission has proposed lowering the risk weight for stablecoins and tokenized assets from 1,250% to 250%, in an effort to facilitate commercial lenders’ inclusion of digital assets, countering efforts by lawmakers to discourage crypto holdings as part of broader banking reforms. The proposal also requires supervisors to ensure banks properly manage risks associated with holding cryptocurrencies, such as cybersecurity, money laundering, and valuation issues.
Aimed at Preventing Crypto Turmoil Impacting Banks
Lawmakers from the European Union (EU) seek to prevent potential crypto turmoil from impacting the commercial banking system by imposing a 1,250% risk weight on digital assets, creating a maximum capital requirement for lenders. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) would still carry the maximum risk weight of 1,250%. This cautious approach has raised concerns in the traditional finance sector.
MiCA Regulation
The proposed measures align with the forthcoming Markets in Crypto Assets regulation (MiCA), effective July 2024, which regulates stablecoin issuers and mandates appropriate reserves. The proposal seeks to moderate the European Parliament’s strict stance which called for banks to hold one euro of capital for every euro of crypto held.
Establishing Regulatory Framework
The leaked document warns of increased risks if a regulatory framework isn’t established to address risks from exposure to crypto-assets. Furthermore, it anticipates detailed crypto standards from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision before implementing other measures in 2023.
Conclusion
In summary, this article explains how EU lawmakers are seeking ways to prevent potential financial turmoil caused by cryptocurrencies while facilitating commercial lenders‘ inclusion of digital assets through lower risk weights on stablecoins and tokenized assets such as gold or fiat currencies. It also outlines further regulatory steps that need be taken before any additional measures can be implemented – namely global standards set by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision – ensuring that banks properly manage their exposure when dealing with digital assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum .
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