SEC Lowers Capital Charge for Payment Stablecoins to Boost Adoption

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced a significant revision to its regulations regarding the capital charge for broker-dealers holding 'payment stablecoins'.

Under the new rule, the required haircut for these stablecoins will be reduced to 2% from the previous 100%. This change is in line with the GENIUS Act of 2025, which established reserve and oversight standards for issuers.

The reduction in the capital charge makes it economically attractive for regulated firms to hold payment stablecoins such as USDC and USD One. This could support growth in tokenized securities, on-chain trading platforms, and blockchain-based settlement systems.