England | Crypto

The Bank of England invites feedback on its proposed stablecoin framework, with the aim of finalizing the rules in the second half of 2026. The United Kingdom’s central bank is moving toward stablecoin regulation by publishing a consultation paper proposing a regulatory framework for the asset class. The Bank of England (BoE) on Monday released a proposed regulatory regime for sterling-denominated “systemic stablecoins,” or tokens it said are widely used in payments and therefore potentially pose risks to the UK financial stability. Under the proposal, the central bank would require stablecoin issuers to back at least 40% of their liabilities with unremunerated deposits at the BoE, while allowing up to 60% in short-term UK government debt. Read more

The UK’s top bank says it will roll out stablecoin rules “just as quickly as the US” amid concerns that it's lagging behind global allies. Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden expects the government to keep pace with the US in stablecoin regulation, stating that it is “really important” for the allies to be synchronized on rules governing the $310 billion industry. Speaking at the SALT conference in London on Wednesday, Breeden reportedly said the UK will implement a stablecoin regulatory framework “just as quickly as the US” — rebuffing fears that it is falling behind, particularly after the US passed the landmark GENIUS Act in July. Breeden confirmed that UK regulators are speaking with US authorities as the Bank of England prepares to publish its stablecoin consultation paper on Nov. 10. Read more

The Bank of England is worried that a rise in financiers' lending to data center lending may cause an AI bubble reminiscent of the dot-com crash in the early 2000s. The Bank of England is investigating the rise of financiers lending to data centers as a way to speculate on the future of AI, Bloomberg said. The UK’s top bank has already been examining market risks that could arise if AI companies fail to meet lofty valuations, warning that many could come crashing down in a correction reminiscent of the dot-com bubble in the early 2000s. Now, it is exploring the relationship between AI companies and financiers that are looking to place bets in the AI market, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Read more

The Bank of England is worried that a rise in financiers' lending to data center lending may cause an AI bubble reminiscent of the dot-com crash in the early 2000s. The Bank of England is investigating the rise of financiers lending to data centers as a way to speculate on the future of AI, Bloomberg said. The UK’s top bank has already been examining market risks that could arise if AI companies fail to meet lofty valuations, warning that many could come crashing down in a correction reminiscent of the dot-com bubble in the early 2000s. Now, it is exploring the relationship between AI companies and financiers that are looking to place bets in the AI market, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Read more

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said stablecoins could thrive in a system that separates money from credit, reducing the UK’s reliance on commercial banks. Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey suggested that stablecoins could reduce the United Kingdom’s reliance on commercial banks, signaling a potential shift in the central bank’s stance toward digital assets. In a Wednesday article in the Financial Times, Bailey said that the current financial system combines money and credit creation through fractional reserve banking, in which banks hold a portion of deposits while lending out the rest. Fractional reserve banking is a system in which banks hold only a fraction of customer deposits in reserve and lend out the rest, thereby creating new money through credit expansion. “Most of the assets backing commercial bank money are not risk-free: they are loans to individuals and to companies,” Bailey wrote in the FT. “The system does not have to be organised like this.“ Read more

UK crypto and payments groups urged the Bank of England to drop plans to cap individual stablecoin holdings, claiming the move would be costly and hard to enforce. United Kingdom-based cryptocurrency industry advocacy groups called on the Bank of England not to proceed with plans to limit individual stablecoin holdings. In a November 2023 discussion paper, the bank floated setting individual caps on digital pounds between 10,000 British pounds ($13,558) and 20,000 pounds and asked for feedback on a possible lower limit of 5,000 pounds. According to a Monday Financial Times report, industry groups criticized the plan, saying it would be difficult and expensive to implement and could leave the UK lagging behind other jurisdictions. Read more

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey joins a growing list of European officials concerned with the rise of stablecoins. Bank of England (BOE) governor Andrew Bailey recently warned against banks issuing stablecoins, saying that the Bank of England should focus on tokenizing deposits instead. Stablecoins introduce systemic risks to banking institutions that could destabilize the entire financial system, causing sovereign governments to lose control over their currencies, the BOE official told The Sunday Times in an interview.  He also added that the United Kingdom’s central bank should not adopt a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or otherwise seek to launch a centrally-managed digital fiat token. Read more