The US Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Company (FDIC), and the Workplace of the Comptroller of the Foreign money (OCC) warned banks in regards to the dangers concerned with crypto in a joint assertion on Jan. 3.
The assertion famous that the previous yr noticed excessive volatility in crypto costs and uncovered vulnerabilities within the sector. Due to this fact, the regulatory authorities highlighted some key dangers banks ought to be cautious of whereas coping with crypto.
The authorities famous that the chance of fraud and scams amongst crypto companies might probably have an effect on banks coping with such corporations. As well as, the newest chapter of FTX and fraud allegations towards its founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), might have probably motivated the regulators to warn banks towards such dangers.
The assertion stated that banks also needs to watch out for dangers arising from authorized uncertainty round crypto custody companies, redemptions, and possession rights.
The regulators warned that crypto companies may present fraudulent disclosures and representations to banks. This might embrace misrepresentations about federal deposit insurance coverage and different “unfair, misleading, or abusive” practices that may hurt customers.
The regulators have been referring to defunct crypto change Voyager Digital’s deceptive statements about FDIC protection. Consequently, on July 28, 2022, FDIC warned Voyager Digital to stop misrepresenting info about FDIC insurance coverage protection of person funds.
On the time of chapter submitting, Voyager had assured customers would get again the USD that Voyager deposited with the FDIC-insured Metropolitan Industrial Financial institution. Nevertheless, the financial institution later clarified that the person deposits are FDIC-insured, however the insurance coverage doesn’t defend clients within the case of Voyager’s chapter.
Within the joint assertion, regulators cited the numerous volatility of crypto markets, which may affect the deposit flows of crypto companies, as a threat for banks. Moreover, the assertion warned that banks holding stablecoin reserves may face vital deposit outflows in case of financial institution runs on the stablecoin.
Moreover, the federal regulators warned towards contagion threat within the crypto sector. The contagion threat arises from the interconnectedness of crypto companies “by opaque lending, investing, funding, service, and operational preparations,” the regulators stated.
The domino impact noticed after the Terra-LUNA fiasco, which precipitated a sequence of bankruptcies beginning with hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, proved that crypto companies are intricately linked. This was once more highlighted after FTX and Alameda Analysis’s collapse, after which Genesis and its guardian firm Digital Foreign money Group landed in scorching water.
Based on the regulatory our bodies, this interconnectedness presents “focus dangers” for banks uncovered to cryptocurrencies.
Moreover, the assertion famous that the crypto sector’s threat administration and governance practices are of their infancy and lack “maturity and robustness.” In addition to, decentralized networks lack governance mechanisms, an oversight system, and contracts and requirements that set up roles, tasks, and liabilities.
Furthermore, decentralized programs are weak to hacks and cyber-attacks, outages, and current threat of illicit finance, the authorities warned, including:
“It is necessary that dangers associated to the crypto-asset sector that can’t be mitigated or managed don’t migrate to the banking system.”
The federal companies additional said that they’re evaluating any proposals from banks to interact in crypto-related actions. They’re additionally carefully supervising banks with crypto publicity. The companies added:
“Given the numerous dangers highlighted by current failures of a number of massive crypto-asset corporations, the companies proceed to take a cautious and cautious method associated to present or proposed crypto-asset-related actions and exposures at every banking group.”
Nevertheless, the assertion clarified that banks are neither “prohibited nor discouraged” to offer companies to any particular sort of corporations, together with crypto-related companies.
Federal companies proceed to guage whether or not or how banks can conduct crypto-related actions. Based on the assertion, their primary concern is that such actions ought to adequately tackle “security and soundness, client safety, authorized permissibility, and compliance with relevant legal guidelines and laws.” This would come with banks adhering to cash laundering, illicit finance, and client safety legal guidelines whereas partaking in crypto-related actions.
The companies additional famous:
“… the companies imagine that issuing or holding as principal crypto-assets which are issued, saved, or transferred on an open, public, and decentralized community, or comparable system is very prone to be inconsistent with secure and sound banking practices.”
