Reserve Requirements

Definition ∞ Reserve requirements are stipulations mandating that financial institutions hold a certain percentage of their liabilities in reserve, rather than lending them out. For stablecoins, this often translates to requirements for issuers to hold equivalent assets backing the circulating supply. This practice aims to bolster confidence in the stablecoin’s peg and prevent liquidity crises.
Context ∞ Discussions surrounding reserve requirements for stablecoins are prominent in regulatory and market analyses. News reports frequently scrutinize the composition and adequacy of reserves held by major stablecoin issuers, particularly in the wake of past de-pegging events. The current debate focuses on establishing clear, verifiable standards for reserve management and the potential implications for monetary policy and financial stability.