On 23 March 2020, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published a report identifying the possible implications of global stablecoin initiatives for securities markets regulators. The report, Global Stablecoin Initiatives, examines the regulatory issues arising from the use of global stablecoins and explores how existing IOSCO Principles and Standards could apply to these arrangements.

The report finds that, depending on its structure, a global stablecoin may fall within securities market regulatory frameworks. Whether IOSCO Principles and Standards are relevant to stablecoins depends on the specific design of each initiative and its legal and regulatory characteristics and features.

The report also includes a hypothetical case study and how it could interact with the perimeter of securities-market regulators’ remits and discusses, at a high level, how some of the relevant IOSCO Principles and Standards could apply.