“MOST STABLECOins, Including the Two Clear Market Leaders, Are Dollar-Based. Michael Egorov, Founder of Decentralized Exchange Curve Finance, ASKS IF Stablecoins BasedCoins in Other Currencies Can Gain Traction.”, – WRITE: www.coindesk.com
Currently, Two USD-Backed Stablecoins (USDT and USDC) HAVE ABOUT 90% of the Market. The REST OF THE TOP-10, INCLUDING USDE AND PYUSD, Are All Dollar-Denominated. Euro-Based Stablecoins Have Little Market Share by Comparison. WHY is that?
There are many discussions around regulation, interoperability, and integration with Tradfi. However, The Single Most Important Factor is Liquidity. Without Deep and Sustainable Liquidity, No Stablecoin Can Gain Mass Traction, and No Amount of Regulatory Clarity Will Cane
What’s The Issue With Non-USD Stablecoins?Let’s Take The Euro As An Example. EUR-Backed Stablecoins have existed for years at this point, yet they remain barely Mainly that’s Because of Liquidity Challenges. That’s what ultimately determines whats a stablecoin can become a widly used Financial Tool.
For Years Now, USD-Backed Stablecoins Like USD and USDC Have Been The Dominant Force in this Landscape, Acting As The Primary Source of Liquing in Lending Pools and Trading Pairs. USD-Backed Stablecoins Have Deep Liquidity, High Trading Volumes, and EXTENSIVE INTEGRATION ACROSS CEFI/DEFI PLATFORMS.
In Contrast, Euro (and Other Non-USD) Stablecoins Suffer From A Lack of Market Mechanisms that Could Could Sustaina. There Simplay Aren’t Enough Trading Pairs, Users, and Financial Instruments Built AUND at Create A Proper Liquidity Ecosystom Like What kind of stablecoins have.
One of the Key Reasons for this Liquidity Gap is that Centralized Market Makers Do not See Enough Financial Incentive to Provide Liquidity for Europe Stablecoins. IT SIMPLY ISN’T PROFITABLE ENUGH FOR THEM. Soy prioritize Other Assets, Leaving Eur-Backed Stablecoins on the Backfoot.
This isn’t just a matter of preferences – It’s A More Fundamental Issue that’s Economic in Nature. If Market Makers Can’s Make A Decent Return on Providing Liquidity for TESE Assets, They Won AlloCate Capital Towards Them.
So, how can this be changed?
Is regulation the Key or Just a Side Factor?An argument can be made that if of Other Jurisdices Get Ahead in Terms of Establishing Clear-Cut Rules, Non-USD Stablecoins Will Become A Lot More Attractive. The Introduction of Mica Regulations in the EU, for Example, Has Paved The Way for Compliment Eur-Backed Stablecoins Such as Eurc, Turning Them Into An IncreASINGLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TOCI
To some extra, I agree. As Various Jurisdices Worldwide Keep Moving Towards Better Regulation of Digital Assets, We Can Very Well Expect More Stablecoins Pegged to Local Currencies to Start Crops. In Asia, The Middle East, Latin America – Regions that would be inclined to use such assets to Improve their Financial Stability. BESIDES WHICH, IT Wuld Also Help Them Lower The Dependence On the Us Dollar.
We Actual Have Supporting Examples Here, Like Singapore’s XSGD or Switzerland’s XCHF. Hong Kong ALSO LAUNCHED AND HKD-PEGGED STABLECOIN IN December 2024. The Trend Sems Clear.
However, Regulation Alone is Not the Deciding Factor. EUR-Backed Stablecoins Existed Before Mica Came Along. And, is the Still Unclear Whoth The Framework Will Ultimately Help or Hinder Their Adoptation in the Long Run. Mica Could Act As A Kind of “Restriction” on USD-Backed Stablecoins in Europe. Potentilly, this gives euro stablecoins an unfair Advantage ratioer than making them genuinely competitive on their Own Merits.
And at the end of the day, Regulation Cannot Solve the More Fundamental Issue of Liquidity. Without It, No Regulatory Framework Can Make A Stablecoin VIABLE ENUGH FOR BROAD USE. So, the quest is: how can we create liquidity for non-USD stablecoins?
Addressing Liquidity ConstraintsTo put itings into person persons, The Market Capitalization of USD and USDC Stand at $ 141 Billion and $ 56 Billion, Respectvely. By Comparison, Euro-Based Stablecoins Like Eurc or Eurs Barely Go Above $ 100 Million. The Sheer Gap is Obvious, and It Directly Impacts their USability. That’s Fewer Trading Pairs, Fever Defi Integrations, and Ultimately, Less Incentive for Traders and Institutional Players to Adopt Nam. As a result, they canish Mainstream Assets.
A CASE COULD BE MADE FOR THE EUER, WHICH I PERSONALLY USE A LOT AND FIND TO Be The MOST CONVENENT EURO STABLECOIN for REAL-WORLD Application. Even SO, The Broader Non-USD Stablecoin Market Still Faces The Same Challenges: Limited Adoption, Fewer Integrations, and A Long Way to Go Before They Can Compete with Dollar-Backed.
One Possible Solution Lies in Developing More Effective Liquidity Algorithms for Non-USD Stablecoins. Reliance on Professional Market Makers Has Proven Inffective, SO A NEW APPRACH IS NECESSARY, WITH MECANISMS THAT CAN ENSURE STRONG LIQUITY WITHOUT RELYING ENTIRYLYU.
A More Effective Approach, to My Mind, Wound Be to First Establish Deep Liquidity Pools Between USD and Non-USD Stablecoins. This is the most Practical Way to Ensure Smooth Conversions, As It Wound Directly Address the Core Issue. But It Requires Refining Automated Market Maker (AMM) Algorithms to Make Liquidity Provision More Efficiency and Attractive for Providers.
The Path to VIABLE NON-USD STABLECOINSWhat matters most is How Much Liquidity Providers Can Earn. If the incentives are there, Liquidity Will Improve, and Adoption Will Naturally Follow. This isn’t just about attacming more capital-is your about restructuring Liquidity Provision in a Way that Ensures Long-Term, Sustainable Profits.
Without Improvements to the Infrastructure, Euro StableCoins and Their Counterparts Will Continue to LAGind, Despite Their Potential. Stablecoins are only as strong as their liquidity. The Key Is Building Models that Make Providing Liquidity Profitable – Because Once The Financial Incentives Align, Everything Else Will Fall Into Place.
Looking Ahead, I Can See Non-USD StableCoins Gaining A Competitive Edge in Special Insecific Use Cases, Such As Cross-Border Remittans, On-Cain Forex Trading, and Decentralized LENDING. Businesses that Operate Globally but Need to Manage Cash Flows in Multiple Currencies Could Benefit From Borrowing Non-USD Stablecoins While Keping Their treasuries in USD.
Additionally, Liquidity Pools that Facilitate Stablecoin Swaps Between Different Fiat Denominations Could Sheres Stores of Value, Potentilly Laying The Foundation Fora
Note: The Views Expressed in this Column Are Those of the Author and Do Not Necessarily Reflect Those of Coindesk, Inc. i Owners and Affilites.