U.S. CFTC Moves Toward Getting Stablecoins Involved in Tokenized Collateral Push

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is starting an initiative to allow stablecoins as tokenized collateral to satisfy margin needs in the vast derivatives market, inviting input from the industry on how to bring such a policy online.

In the latest move toward crypto inclusion in the U.S. financial sector, the acting chief of the CFTC, Caroline Pham, continues to advance policy in the absence of President Donald Trump's current nominee to be the chairman, former Commissioner Brian Quintenz. As the confirmation process for Quintenz remains mired in delays and some open conflict, Pham has been regularly announcing initiatives as part of a "crypto sprint" and working with Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins.

"For years I have said that collateral management is the ‘killer app’ for stablecoins in markets," Pham said in a Tuesday statement. "I’m excited to announce the launch of this initiative to work closely with stakeholders to enable the use of tokenized collateral including stablecoins."

Pham had been pushing since last year for a so-called regulatory sandbox for tokenization, when she served as a commissioner during the previous administration, and when she took over as acting chairman, she announced the pursuit of a pilot program on stablecoin-backed tokenization.

Stablecoins, newly regulated under the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS) Act, are the dollar-based tokens that are key to the plumbing of crypto markets and smart-contract-driven digital finance. In an agency press release that also rounded up comments from Circle, Coinbase and Ripple executives, the CFTC said it'll take written ideas until October 20.

The recent President's Working Group report on crypto policy called on the CFTC to "provide guidance on the adoption of tokenized non-cash collateral as regulatory margin.”

According to Pham, "these market improvements will unleash U.S. economic growth because market participants can put their dollars to work smarter and go further."