Bank of Korea Ties Direct Stablecoin Pairs to FX Pressure
BOK September note shows direct fiat-stablecoin trading pairs convert local demand into measurable exchange-rate effects rather than isolated premiums.
The Bank of Korea’s September 3 note examined stablecoin premiums and FX rates around the introduction of direct fiat-USD stablecoin pairs on global exchanges. Higher premiums were linked to significant local-currency depreciation only after those pairs were added.
Market structure determines the channel
Korea showed no statistically significant FX effect because Binance offered no direct won-USD stablecoin pair; demand appeared only as a premium. A cited BIS working paper estimates that a 1% exogenous rise in net USD-stablecoin inflows is linked to roughly 5 basis points of local-currency depreciation, with more than 70% of 2021-2025 inflows originating from non-USD currencies.
Remaining unknowns
Exact sample periods, coefficient magnitudes, and statistical significance thresholds are not provided. Whether similar pair introductions would produce comparable effects in other jurisdictions remains untested in the reported data.