Are stablecoins a pipe dream? Yes. Yes they are. More importantly, they shouldn't be an ideal. The founders of such coins should have a basic understanding of currency if they're ever to attempt a 1:1 peg to the US dollar (or any other 'stable' currency). Problems include the following:
- There is no fractional reserve system in crypto. The "permissionless" nature of blockchain doesn't bode well for there ever being one. The total supply of money might have to mimic what is only possible in a fractional reserve system.
- It's difficult to manage expectation as your coin goes from nascent to mature. As your user base increases, your value SHOULD oscillate tremendously. Also, you're going to have early adopters just waiting to release tons of coin once you're pegged. If you can't control their activity, you cannot control your relative market value.
- Trust is an issue. Bitcoin is popular because there is no need to trust anyone (emptor caveat).
- This is the M1 money supply. If you're attempting to match the value of the US dollar with a supply that changes rapidly, you must have the same rights and abilities as a Federal Reserve. Without having a standard, world reserve currency, this is unlikely to match anything the Federal Reserve does. Check out M1:
These are a few reasons a stablecoin is not ideal in any conception that has it pegged to the dollar. There are plenty of other reasons to consider but I would like YOUR thoughts on the matter and whether or not you agree. Maybe you have a different conception of what a stablecoin should be. What is it?
Revenge arc | Crypto class of '17 | Following the white rabbit to the magick Internet money 🐇💊 | ex- Alchemy Pay, Solidus Ai Tech, Ubitquity, Wells Fargo Bank
2yWhen the system is set up to allow banks to lend on reservese 10 to 1 and the Federal Reserve can print into oblivion then it is hard for a 1 to 1 stablecoin to exist competitively. It can be complimentary to the dollar in that it increases the velocity of money movement and allows for my liquidity to enter the market. A 1 to 1 peg is far more useful than a algorithmic stablecoin tied to a volatile digital asset like that of UST and LUNA... we saw how that turned out. One interesting project on the horizon that I am starting to work with is leveraging a stable SDR unit to provide true balance and stability to those in the market - the $MARK token by Benchmark Protocol. Which offers truer supply elastic collateral and serves as a better hedging device than a 1 to 1 peg of a stablecoin.
4 Exits, Active Investor, mentor, and business development professional focused on raising capital and improving operational efficiency via AI, encryption, blockchain, SaaS, secure email, and other emerging technologies
2yAny feedback or comments on this blog? Ian T. Staley, MSM?