The spread of stablecoins in the euro zone could weaken the effectiveness of monetary policy, siphon deposits away from banks and reduce lending to the real economy, a study published by the European Central Bank showed on Tuesday. Stablecoins, crypto assets designed to maintain a stable value, remain niche but their rapid growth has raised concerns that regulation is not keeping pace with a product that could reshape commercial and central banking. For traditional lenders, the key issue is that the growing use of stablecoins may lead customers to move money out of bank deposits, forcing lenders to obtain more ... (full story)