Alibaba weighs deposit token as China clamps down on stablecoins: Report
Alibaba’s global e-commerce arm is reportedly developing a bank-backed deposit token for cross-border payments as Beijing tightens its crackdown on stablecoins.
The cross-border e-commerce arm of Chinese tech behemoth Alibaba is working on a deposit token amid mainland China’s crackdown on stablecoins, according to CNBC.
Alibaba president Kuo Zhang told CNBC in a Friday report that the tech giant plans to use stablecoin-like technology to streamline overseas transactions. The model under consideration is a deposit token, which is a blockchain-based instrument that represents a direct claim on commercial bank deposits and is treated as a regulated liability of the issuing bank.
Traditional stablecoins, which these tokens closely resemble, are issued by a private entity and backed by assets to maintain their value. The report follows JPMorgan Chase — the world’s biggest bank by market capitalization — reportedly rolling out its deposit token to institutional clients earlier this week.
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