By Sammy Cartagena* Fractional reserve banking has existed throughout history, long before the creation of government currencies or central banks. Once money depositories realized that not all depositors would demand repayment simultaneously, the practice of lending out deposits in excess of reserves became common. This raises the question of how a system of full reserves […]
Today saw the collapse of Iron Finance, issuer of a so-called “stablecoin” called IRON which is now worth much less than the dollar it is supposed to be pegged to. This is obviously bad, because the whole point of a stablecoin is to be stable. Stable coins are important. They are widely used by crypto […]
Today saw the collapse of Iron Finance, issuer of a so-called “stablecoin” called IRON which is now worth much less than the dollar it is supposed to be pegged to. This is obviously bad, because the whole point of a stablecoin is to be stable. Stable coins are important. They are widely used by crypto […]
A former bank CEO has been banned from taking on leadership roles in banking after being found guilty of acting improperly regarding a loan. Carolyn Flynn, former CEO of the Kentucky-based Community Financial Services Bank (CFSB), approved a loan of more than $90,000 to a family member and accessed customer information without authorization, according to […]
Bitcoin is often seen as several things, ranging from a commodity to a currency, and even a solution to solving all financial problems in unbanked and underbanked regions. But very few people believe that Bitcoin has the potential to completely change reserve banking, freeing consumers from being enslaved to the banking ecosystem. While there are […]
TOO MANY BOBS Here is a story to help illustrate the risk involved in fractional reserve banking. Bob has ten thousand dollars that he doesn’t know what to do with, so he gives them to his best friend, Sam, to keep. Bob tells Sam that he doesn’t expect to need the money anytime soon, but […]
The phrase “elephant in the room“… “…an important or huge controversial topic, issue or subject that is obvious or that everyone knows about but no one mentions or wants to discuss because it makes at least some of them uncomfortable or is personally, socially or politically embarrassing, controversial, inflammatory, or dangerous. (The source) Let’s start […]
Updates to the letter Sign up for myFT Daily Digest to be the first to know about Letter news. Fractional reserve banking is a system in which only a fraction of bank deposits are backed by cash on hand and available for withdrawal. The system is risky (Opinion of July 23). For hundreds of years, […]
Stablecoins offer much sought-after stability in volatile crypto markets. It is sometimes even said that they affect the price of bitcoin drastically. Attached (USDT). However, it is more important to delve into the reality that some stablecoins are bad for bitcoin adoption. A sort of fractional reserve bank 2.0. Also Read: Tron-Based Tether Inflated To […]
U.S. multinational financial services firm Mastercard wants to apply fractional reserve banking principles to cryptocurrency, news patent application released Thursday, October 25 reveals. According to the document, released by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the payment processor plans to allow merchants to interact with what it calls “blockchain currencies” via a new […]
On April 16, 2018, two free-market economists debated a topic that has long divided libertarians. Fractional Reserve Bank refers to the common practice of banks to hold only part of their depositors’ money and lend out the rest. In The mystery of the bank (1983), anarcho-capitalist economist Murray Rothbard called fractional reserve banking “a shell […]
/bank_176952073-057a290a3711460ea8cf6974be35c850.jpg)
What is fractional reserve banking? Fractional reserve banking is a system in which only a fraction of bank deposits are backed by cash on hand and available for withdrawal. This is done to theoretically develop the economy by freeing up capital for loans. Key points to remember Banks are required to keep on hand a […]
After spending about ten years, a great deal of time and money, advocating for a full reserve, I am delighted to see that the above book, which was the Financial Times Economics Book of the Year in 2013, also supports the idea. However, arguing for a total reserve is not the central aim of the […]
Note: This is the latest entry in the Acton blogging series, “What Christians Should Know About the Economy”. For other entries in the series, see this post. The term: Fractional reserve bank What this means: Understanding fractional reserve banking is easier if we separate what it is (which is quite simple to explain) and the […]
The 2008 financial crisis took many of us out of our comfort zones, leading to the argument for a complete overhaul of the monetary and banking system. This very concept was recently the subject of a petition in Switzerland. Known as the Vollgeld Initiative, its main purpose is to separate money creation from fractional reserve […]
The success of any business can only be measured by what one is trying to accomplish. If the Vollgeld initiative aims to create a stable and healthy economy in Switzerland, it will be a miserable failure. However, if Vollgeld’s supporters aim for firmer government control, it could very well serve the purpose. My colleague Jason […]
Vollgeld “Full Money Initiative” of Switzerland I can pretty much guarantee you that the biggest story that isn’t covered by the mainstream business press right now is that Switzerland to hold referendum to consider ending fractional reserve banking (!). Yes, you read that right. This paragon of the banking sector votes on the advisability of […]
How money is created and used In the US fractional reserve banking system, banks are required to keep a fraction of their deposits in reserve but may lend or invest the rest of the money (i.e. excess reserves) for prudent business purposes. . This leverage explains how $ 10,000 in new deposits can ultimately generate […]
FT Alphaville had the pleasure of moderating the “Future of Banking†sign at OuishareFest, a collaborative economy gathering, earlier this month. During this discussion, an interesting point was raised by François Carbone, CEO of an equity crowdfunding company. Anaxago. Namely, when you think about it, every peer-to-peer (P2P) initiative proposed today is truly representative of […]
/https://blogs-images.forbes.com/thumbnails/blog_1082/pt_1082_989_o.jpg?t=1343581193)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia) There is a saying in the banking industry that for a badly run bank no reserve requirement is strict enough, and then for a well run bank any reserve requirement is positively draconian. Basically, good bankers know how much or how little cash they need, but incompetent bankers always seem to be […]
From Irish woes to student protests, the grim fallout from the banking crisis once again dominated the news this month. But behind the scenes, a radical solution has also quietly gained traction, with growing support from a few unlikely bedfellows. Conservative MPs, leftist and libertarian think tanks and even Muslim Shariah bankers have lent their […]