How Do Stablecoins Touch the Most Profitable Nerve of Banks?
U.S. banks are fiercely opposing interest-bearing stablecoins, not because they cause deposit outflows, but because they threaten the core profitability of large commercial banks. When funds flow into stablecoins like USDC, the money eventually returns to the banking system as reserves held in cash or short-term liquid assets. The real concern is the total amount of deposits, but a shift in deposit structure.
Large U.S. banks rely heavily on "low-rate banking," where they hold massive amounts of non-interest or ultra-low-interest transaction deposits (used for payments, transfers, and settlements). These deposits are extremely cheap for banks, costing only 0-11 basis points in interest, while the Fed funds rate is 3.5%-3.75%. This spread, along with transaction fees, generates over $360 billion in annual revenue for banks.
Interest-bearing stablecoins directly compete with these transaction deposits. If stablecoins offer yield, users may move funds from traditional bank transaction accounts into stablecoins for both utility and returns. Although the money remains in the banking system, stablecoin issuers would likely place most reserves in higher-yielding non-transaction accounts, forcing banks to pay market rates for these funds. This erodes banks' profit margins and reduces their fee income from payment services.
The battle over the CLARITY法案 revolves around this profit redistribution. Banks want to ban all forms of yield on stablecoins to protect their lucrative low-cost deposit base and dominant position in the payment ecosystem.
比推01/19 14:58
