随着越来越多的官员对数字资产表示不满,美联储称,即将对加密货币在美国货币供应中发挥的作用进行评估。
美联储的主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔于7月14日在众议院金融服务委员会(House Committee on Financial Services)举行的货币政策听证会上表示,美联储将在今年9月初前后发布白皮书。该白皮书将讨论加密货币、稳定币,以及发行央行数字货币的可能性。央行数字货币是指任何央行发行的代表国家货币的数字代币。
鲍威尔指出,由于美国在数字货币方面“真正处于关键时刻”,美联储将列出所有这些数字货币的潜在好处和风险,并面向公众和美国国会启动“重大公共协商”。
就在美联储主席发表上述声明之前,该机构于7月9日向美国国会提交了半年度《货币政策报告》(Monetary Policy Report),在报告中首次特别提到了加密货币资产价格飙升,并指出这反映了投资者正在承担更多的风险。
有关文件显示,鲍威尔最近会见了数字货币行业的关键人物。今年5月,鲍威尔与Coinbase的首席执行官布莱恩·阿姆斯特朗进行了面谈,第二天又与数字美元项目(Digital Dollar Project)的主管克里斯托弗·吉安卡洛进行了一次虚拟通话。数字美元项目正在美国试行首个项目,以测试美国央行数字货币的潜在用途。
鲍威尔在7月14日的听证会上说:“我们正在努力推进这个项目。”听证会涉及美联储为发布数字支付报告所做的工作,该报告将于近期发布。
鲍威尔在作证期间特别提到了稳定币。这是一种数字代币,其价值与法定货币或黄金等挂钩,以稳定其价格。鲍威尔对加密货币是否会成为“支付领域的重要组成部分”提出了质疑,但特别指出,稳定币有望成为重要的支付手段。
鲍威尔说:“这很简单。这些经济活动与银行存款和货币市场基金非常接近。需要以类似的方式对其进行监管。”
在接受询问时,鲍威尔同意俄亥俄州众议员安东尼·冈萨雷斯的观点。冈萨雷斯对稳定币Tether表示担忧,该币由于其有争议的储备支持而受到抨击。
今年6月,发行基于美元的代币的香港公司Tether披露,其储备中有相当大一部分是商业票据(商业票据是公司发行的短期债务,目的是为库存或工资等支出筹集现金)。
鲍威尔说,他对此“绝对”有同感,并指出商业票据的流动性历来是一个重大问题。
鲍威尔说:“在前两次金融危机中,特别是在危机最严重的阶段,市场都消失了,这时人们才会想起要回他们的钱。”
鲍威尔表示,美联储将在即将发布的白皮书中解决所有这些问题。最终的结果如何尚不清楚。众议院议员的询问表明,并非每个人都对美联储尝试发行代币的想法感到兴奋。(财富中文网)
翻译:郝秀
审校:汪皓
随着越来越多的官员对数字资产表示不满,美联储称,即将对加密货币在美国货币供应中发挥的作用进行评估。
美联储的主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔于7月14日在众议院金融服务委员会(House Committee on Financial Services)举行的货币政策听证会上表示,美联储将在今年9月初前后发布白皮书。该白皮书将讨论加密货币、稳定币,以及发行央行数字货币的可能性。央行数字货币是指任何央行发行的代表国家货币的数字代币。
鲍威尔指出,由于美国在数字货币方面“真正处于关键时刻”,美联储将列出所有这些数字货币的潜在好处和风险,并面向公众和美国国会启动“重大公共协商”。
就在美联储主席发表上述声明之前,该机构于7月9日向美国国会提交了半年度《货币政策报告》(Monetary Policy Report),在报告中首次特别提到了加密货币资产价格飙升,并指出这反映了投资者正在承担更多的风险。
有关文件显示,鲍威尔最近会见了数字货币行业的关键人物。今年5月,鲍威尔与Coinbase的首席执行官布莱恩·阿姆斯特朗进行了面谈,第二天又与数字美元项目(Digital Dollar Project)的主管克里斯托弗·吉安卡洛进行了一次虚拟通话。数字美元项目正在美国试行首个项目,以测试美国央行数字货币的潜在用途。
鲍威尔在7月14日的听证会上说:“我们正在努力推进这个项目。”听证会涉及美联储为发布数字支付报告所做的工作,该报告将于近期发布。
鲍威尔在作证期间特别提到了稳定币。这是一种数字代币,其价值与法定货币或黄金等挂钩,以稳定其价格。鲍威尔对加密货币是否会成为“支付领域的重要组成部分”提出了质疑,但特别指出,稳定币有望成为重要的支付手段。
鲍威尔说:“这很简单。这些经济活动与银行存款和货币市场基金非常接近。需要以类似的方式对其进行监管。”
在接受询问时,鲍威尔同意俄亥俄州众议员安东尼·冈萨雷斯的观点。冈萨雷斯对稳定币Tether表示担忧,该币由于其有争议的储备支持而受到抨击。
今年6月,发行基于美元的代币的香港公司Tether披露,其储备中有相当大一部分是商业票据(商业票据是公司发行的短期债务,目的是为库存或工资等支出筹集现金)。
鲍威尔说,他对此“绝对”有同感,并指出商业票据的流动性历来是一个重大问题。
鲍威尔说:“在前两次金融危机中,特别是在危机最严重的阶段,市场都消失了,这时人们才会想起要回他们的钱。”
鲍威尔表示,美联储将在即将发布的白皮书中解决所有这些问题。最终的结果如何尚不清楚。众议院议员的询问表明,并非每个人都对美联储尝试发行代币的想法感到兴奋。(财富中文网)
翻译:郝秀
审校:汪皓
With more officials raising eyebrows over digital assets, the Federal Reserve says it is close to weighing in on the role crypto will have on the U.S. money supply.
The Fed will publish a white paper around early September, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said during a monetary policy hearing before the House Committee on Financial Services on July 14. The paper will address cryptocurrency, stablecoins, and the potential introduction of a central bank digital currency, which refers to digital tokens issued by any central bank that represent the nation’s currency.
With the U.S. “really at a critical point” in terms of digital currency, the Fed will lay out the potential benefits and risks of all these issues and initiate a “major public consultation” with the public and Congress, Powell said.
The Fed Chair’s statements come right after the agency published its semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress on Friday, in which it singled out the crypto asset price surge for the first time, posing it as a reflection of investors taking on more risk.
Documents show that Powell has recently met with key figures in the digital currency industry. In May, he sat down with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, and the next day had a virtual call with Christopher Giancarlo, director of the Digital Dollar Project, which is piloting the first program in the U.S. to test potential uses for a U.S. central bank digital currency.
“We are working hard on it right now,” Powell said at the July 14 hearing of the Fed’s efforts to publish its impending report on digital payments.
During his testimony, Powell drew attention particularly to stablecoins, which are digital tokens whose value is tied to things like fiat currency or gold in order to stabilize their price. Powell raised doubts over whether cryptocurrencies would become a “significant part of the payment universe,” but specifically noted that stablecoins might be.
“It’s very simple,” Powell said. “These are economic activities that are very close to bank deposits and money-market funds. They need to be regulated in similar ways.”
During questioning, Powell agreed with Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez’s concerns about the stablecoin Tether, which has come under fire owing to its controversial backing.
In June, disclosures from Tether, a Hong Kong–based company that issues U.S. dollar-backed tokens, revealed a sizable chunk of its reserves are in commercial paper (commercial paper is the short-term debt companies issue to secure cash for expenses like inventories or payroll).
Powell testified that he “absolutely” shared concerns over this, and noted how liquidity for commercial paper has historically become a major concern.
“In both of the last two financial crises—during the acute phase of the crisis—the market just disappeared, and that’s when people will want their money,” Powell said.
Powell said the Fed would be addressing all these issues in its impending white paper. What will ultimately emerge as a result is unclear. Questioning from House representatives suggests not everyone would be thrilled about the central bank toying with the idea of issuing its own tokens.