Peter Zhang
Jan 20, 2026 20:57
New Sei Labs paper fashions how dollar-pegged stablecoins export U.S. financial coverage worldwide, creating an ‘unattainable quartet’ for central banks.
A analysis paper printed by Sei Labs on January 20, 2026 presents a proper framework arguing that widespread stablecoin adoption successfully transforms the Federal Reserve into the world’s retail financial institution—whether or not international locations prefer it or not.
The paper, authored by Ben Marsh, arrives because the stablecoin market exceeds $230 billion in whole capitalization, with dollar-pegged tokens comprising practically 99% of that worth. Simply hours earlier than publication, Circle’s USDC Treasury minted a further 250 million tokens, underscoring the continued enlargement of dollar-denominated digital cash.
Three Channels of Greenback Transmission
Marsh identifies three mechanisms via which stablecoins export U.S. financial circumstances globally. First, a items pricing channel: as extra consumption will get invoiced in {dollars}, native client worth indices mechanically monitor Fed coverage quite than home central financial institution choices. The paper fashions this utilizing a CES aggregator the place the USD-priced share of a rustic’s consumption basket rises with stablecoin adoption.
Second, a “digital UIP” emerges linking home brief charges on to the U.S. entrance finish. When households can seamlessly swap between native foreign money and USDC, any significant price differential triggers arbitrage flows. The friction wedges that traditionally insulated rising markets—capital controls, conversion prices, regulatory obstacles—shrink towards zero as stablecoin infrastructure matures.
Third, even on-chain transaction prices behave like dollar-indexed devices. The paper fashions blockspace as an M/M/1 queue the place charges successfully quote in foundation factors of notional worth. When U.S. brief charges rise, the chance price of ready will increase, pushing up bids for inclusion. “The identical entrance finish price that costs Treasury payments now costs entry to digital settlement capability,” Marsh writes.
The Unattainable Quartet
Classical economics describes an “unattainable trinity”—international locations cannot concurrently preserve fastened change charges, free capital motion, and unbiased financial coverage. Marsh argues stablecoins create a fourth constraint: banking sector stability.
As households shift deposits into yield-bearing stablecoins, banks lose low cost funding. The paper fashions how this drain widens credit score spreads even with out demand shocks, creating cost-push inflation via the Phillips curve. “The digital greenback would not must ‘invade’ lending to alter the credit score channel—the drain on deposits is sufficient.”
The maths is stark. With low adoption, a central financial institution focusing on 1% change price volatility may maintain 4% coverage independence. As stablecoin wedges slender from 3% to 1%, that independence shrinks to 2%. Nations both settle for imported Fed coverage or rebuild frictions via capital controls, taxation asymmetries, or CBDC corridors.
What This Means for Markets
For merchants, the framework suggests stablecoin adoption metrics deserve consideration alongside conventional macro indicators. Nations with quickly rising USDC/USDT volumes might present rising correlation to Fed coverage shifts, creating each hedging alternatives and contagion dangers.
The paper additionally implies that Fed price choices now carry direct implications for on-chain exercise prices globally—a consideration for protocols and DeFi purposes denominating charges in greenback phrases.
Marsh’s conclusion pulls no punches: “In a world of frictionless greenback rails, utilizing stables means utilizing the Fed’s stability sheet as your individual.” Whether or not that is a function or a bug is determined by which aspect of the coverage window you are sitting.
Picture supply: Shutterstock
