CFTC to Allow Stablecoins as Collateral in US Derivatives Markets

CFTC Chair Caroline Pham announced a plan to allow stablecoins as collateral for US derivatives markets. This would significantly lower retail traders’ barrier to entry for riskier TradFi bets.

So far, the plan is non-binding, but it enjoys support from crypto firms like Coinbase, Circle, Ripple, and more. The public has until October 20 to submit feedback for this high-risk, high-reward experiment.

Stablecoins in Derivatives Trading

The CFTC has been taking bold pro-crypto regulatory actions since Acting Chair Caroline Pham became its last Commissioner, working to quickly build new policy. Today, the CFTC continued that push, announcing a new plan to allow stablecoins as collateral in derivatives markets:

According to the CFTC’s press release, this integration between stablecoins and US derivatives markets is still a work in progress. That is to say, this is a non-binding step, attempting to gain stakeholder feedback on implementation.

For example, Pham’s statement doesn’t mention how new stablecoin regulations, which could outlaw prominent assets, will interact with this derivatives plan. The Commission is opening a window for public comment, which will remain open until October 20.

However, in accordance with the CFTC’s recent moves to court industry feedback, the press release included statements from several prominent stablecoin issuers and crypto firms. These include Circle, Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Ripple.

In other words, the plan already has a ton of institutional support from crypto.

Easier Trades, Bigger Risks

Although the details haven’t been fully decided yet, the general picture is pretty clear. A few months ago, the FHFA decided to consider cryptoassets when assessing mortgage loan applications. This plan should allow retail traders to use stablecoins as collateral to access US derivatives markets.

To be clear, this refers to TradFi derivatives, not crypto-specific options. The stablecoin plan would accomplish a lot of regulatory goals, like providing another bridge between Web3 and the regular stock market.

Such a move would significantly democratize access to the growing derivatives market, as many retail traders already own stablecoins. These bets are substantially riskier than ordinary stocks, which is why US regulations previously discouraged widespread adoption. However, Pham’s plan would demolish the barrier to entry.

This could be a double-edged sword for a few reasons. As long as markets continue growing steadily, these new derivatives traders could gain lucrative profits. If, however, the US economy takes a downturn, this move could magnify the damage.

It may soon become much easier for US citizens to lose enormous sums in the stock market. Hopefully, a scenario like that won’t happen for the foreseeable future.