The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp has formally proposed its approach to regulating stablecoin issuers, as required by the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act. The proposal, which aligns with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's proposal in February, will be open for public comment for 60 days. The FDIC's role is to regulate US depository institutions that issue stablecoins from their subsidiaries, and the proposal sets out capital, liquidity, and custody standards for these firms. Stablecoins will not be eligible for deposit insurance, and issuers will not be able to offer interest or yield on their tokens simply for holding or using them.
The proposal also suggests that issuers will need to maintain capital to manage the risk of their business, as well as an operational backstop. The agency has addressed the applicability of pass-through insurance to deposits held as reserves backing payment stablecoins, and proposed that tokenized deposits should be treated the same as other deposits.
While regulators work to implement the GENIUS Act, lawmakers are also working on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which may overhaul some of the details of the GENIUS Act. The proposed rule is a significant step towards regulating the stablecoin industry, and the public comment period will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback.