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The four types of stablecoins: A comparative analysis

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Listed:
  • Matthias Hafner
  • Marco Henriques Pereira
  • Helmut Dietl
  • Juan Beccuti

Abstract

Stablecoins have gained significant popularity recently, with their market cap rising to over $180 billion. However, recent events have raised concerns about their stability. In this paper, we classify stablecoins into four types based on the source and management of collateral and investigate the stability of each type under different conditions. We highlight each type's potential instabilities and underlying tradeoffs using agent-based simulations. The results emphasize the importance of carefully evaluating the origin of a stablecoin's collateral and its collateral management mechanism to ensure stability and minimize risks. Enhanced understanding of stablecoins should be informative to regulators, policymakers, and investors alike.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Hafner & Marco Henriques Pereira & Helmut Dietl & Juan Beccuti, 2023. "The four types of stablecoins: A comparative analysis," Papers 2308.07041, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2308.07041
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ariah Klages-Mundt & Andreea Minca, 2020. "While Stability Lasts: A Stochastic Model of Non-Custodial Stablecoins," Papers 2004.01304, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2022.
    2. Lee, Seungju & Lee, Jaewook & Lee, Yunyoung, 2023. "Dissecting the Terra-LUNA crash: Evidence from the spillover effect and information flow," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    3. Aloui, Chaker & Hamida, Hela ben & Yarovaya, Larisa, 2021. "Are Islamic gold-backed cryptocurrencies different?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    4. Lyons, Richard K. & Viswanath-Natraj, Ganesh, 2023. "What keeps stablecoins stable?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    5. Ariah Klages‐Mundt & Andreea Minca, 2022. "While stability lasts: A stochastic model of noncustodial stablecoins," Mathematical Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 943-981, October.
    6. Duan, Kun & Urquhart, Andrew, 2023. "The instability of stablecoins," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    7. Grobys, Klaus & Junttila, Juha & Kolari, James W. & Sapkota, Niranjan, 2021. "On the stability of stablecoins," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 207-223.
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    Cited by:

    1. Le, Thai Hong & Luu, Hiep Ngoc & Do, Dinh Dinh & Nguyen, Trung-Anh & Pham, Toan Canh, 2025. "On the connectedness between the uncertainty of central bank digital currency adoption and stablecoins," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
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    3. Lee, Yi-Hsi & Chiu, Yu-Fen & Hsieh, Ming-Hua, 2025. "Stablecoin depegging risk prediction," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

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