The report defines and delineates between virtual currencies, digital currencies, cryptocurrencies, private cryptocurrencies, “stablecoins,” and initial coin offerings (ICOs). It explains the risks associated with different cryptocurrency implementations and provides a graphic that makes it easy to comprehend how cryptocurrencies can be called, on the one hand, as the most secure currency in the world while, on the other hand, the news almost weekly reports new criminal acts in which people’s cryptocurrency has been stolen.
With that background information, the report evaluates different approaches a bank might take to deliver a cryptocurrency-based product to its customers while remaining compliant to all existing banking regulations.

“Although I have confidence in the server technology that creates and manages Bitcoin, I remain very skeptical of the industry that has sprung up around it that has enabled so many poorly secured products to be released to consumers. Too many of these were scams to begin with. These are well documented in this report and the risk vectors are exposed,” comments the author of the report, Tim Sloane, VP, Payments Innovation, and Director, Emerging Technologies Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group. “However, this report also identifies several implementations that remain well within the banking regulatory framework and would deliver meaningful products to market should the institution feel its customers could benefit from such a contribution.”

This research report has 19 pages and 2 exhibits.

Companies mentioned in this report include: American Express, Coinbase, Ethereum, Fundera, JP Morgan, Ripple, Signature Bank, and Tether.