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Take a look at stablecoins. How are they different from other cryptocurrencies? And are they a good investment?

Stablecoins are becoming increasingly popular, with their market cap reaching

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that have their price pegged to or backed by a stable asset, or group of assets. Most are pegged to fiat i.e. real currency. However, some may be pegged to the price of commodities such as gold, or even other cryptocurrencies. Some are not pegged to any asset. 

Many see stablecoins as having the best of both worlds – they possess the blockchain technology that most cryptocurrencies possess, but are without the volatility that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can suffer from. They are stable coins in the literal sense of the word. 

How do stablecoins work so they are actually kept stable?

How is Price Stability and Low Volatility Achieved?

Price stability and low volatility are often cited as major advantages of stablecoins. It should be noted however that stablecoins are only as stable as the asset they are pegged to. 

Although by their nature, stablecoins are pegged to assets that are expected to be stable themselves, that’s not to say they are not immune to volatility. 

Price swings could still happen, thus affecting the volatility of the stablecoin. Thankfully, this is rare. Stablecoins are generally very stable because of the high stability of the asset they are pegged to. 

But how are stablecoins kept stable, or in other words, how do they keep their peg maintained? 

This comes down to the issue of trust. For the peg to be maintained, the market needs to have trust in the asset the coin is pegged to. That’s why coins are pegged to trusted assets such as US dollars, gold and oil. 

Tether (USDT), for example, is pegged to the US dollar, meaning that for every unit of USDT, parent company Tether keeps a US dollar in reserves. If the market didn’t hold trust in that one unit of USDT was worth one dollar, then it would crash. However, the fact that USDT for the most part has been always very close to one dollar in value, is a testament to the trust the market has in it.

Tether Price and Volume Chart, August 2019 to August 2020. 

Price stability and low volatility can bring convenience, but in what ways are stablecoins used? 

Stablecoins are being increasingly used for transactions, with the blockchain technology enabling international transactions to be done significantly more quickly than more traditional means. Additionally, some individuals and merchants may be perhaps understandably resistant to transact in a cryptocurrency which may fluctuate in price massively in a short period of time, such as Bitcoin. With stablecoins, this risk is significantly lower.

 in recent years has become well-established in the financial sector, and offers a public blockchain-based alternative to traditional financial services through the use of smart contracts. Stablecoins play their part as they offer a stable means of transactions taking place in the DeFi system.

Four different types of stablecoins exist. Three types are backed by collateral, and one type is not. In addition to this, two types are centralized (held by a central entity), and two types are decentralized (not held by a central entity).

Most stablecoins are pegged to fiat currencies, such as USD, EUR or GBP. This is done at, or very near to, a 1:1 ratio. This essentially means that for every stablecoin, there is a unit of fiat currency stored somewhere in reserves too.

So let’s imagine that somebody wants to convert their stablecoins into cash. The institution storing the stablecoins will send the fiat currency being stored in reserves to the individual’s bank account, and the amount of stablecoins equating to the amount of fiat circulation will be removed from circulation.

Most stablecoins in this category are collateralized to gold, but they can be collateralized to other commodities too, including metals, oil, or real estate. These commodities act as mechanisms to limit price volatility. Commodity-backed stablecoins can give everyday investors the opportunity to invest in commodities. Although investments in assets such as gold have traditionally been for the rich, these types of stablecoins have opened them up to potentially a whole new demographic of people.

Some stablecoins are pegged to cryptocurrencies. In contrast to fiat-backed stablecoins, cryptocurrency-backed stablecoins are issued through smart contracts. As cryptocurrency prices can be notoriously volatile, coins are often backed by multiple cryptocurrencies. So if one suffers price volatility, the others can absorb the shock while remaining stable. 

Additionally, some are protected by a process called over-collateralization. It means when the coin is backed by an asset more than the value of the coin, and is used as a protective measure. So, instead of a ratio 1:1 like fiat, the ratio may be 1:2 instead, meaning that the stablecoin is backed up by cryptocurrency collateral double its value.

Pros of Cryptocurrency Backed Stablecoins:

Cons of Cryptocurrency Backed Stablecoins:

Believe it or not, noncollateralized stablecoins do exist: this type of stablecoin is known as the 

. The supply of these stablecoins is controlled by algorithmic pegging and smart contracts. Supply and demand drive the prices of these stablecoins. The supply of these stablecoins is controlled by an algorithm-based model known as seigniorage shares.

If the price of the stablecoin increases, then coins will be issued by the algorithm until the supply and demand achieve equilibrium. If the price of the stablecoin decreases, then the supply of the coins will be reduced until supply and demand also achieves equilibrium. By doing these things, the algorithm can keep the price of the coin stable.

Paxos Standard (PAX) is a fiat-backed stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, launched in 2018. Today,

 include to limit crypto-asset volatility and to remove cross-border transaction fees, but it is hoped by its issuer Paxos Trust Company to be used for consumer payments in the future. 

(DGX) is pegged to gold, with one unit of the currency equal to one gram of gold. The gold is stored in a vault, and holders of the currency may redeem gold bars if they visit the vault themselves. The gold is audited every three months to ensure the full amount is still being held.

There are contrasting options on whether stablecoins are a good investment or not. Let’s look at some of the arguments for and against.

What are Stablecoins? Are They a Good Investment? (2022)

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