Fully integrating a stablecoin or central bank digital currency (CBDC) into the economy would destabilize banks but improve household welfare, a study released by a United States Treasury division has claimed. The harm to banking caused by the digital currencies could be “significant” in times of stress, it found.
The Office of Financial Research study considered a theoretical “stable state” in the financial sector, after stablecoin or CBDC had been successfully introduced. This contrasts with studies that looked at the risks of bank runs and disintermediation caused by the introduction of the digital currencies.