Dollar stablecoin use stayed elevated after capital controls ended, new research suggests

Dollar stablecoin activity can remain elevated after capital controls end, according to historical estimates presented by IMF economist Marco Reuter. His Oct. 31 VoxEU column adds a persistence finding to the debate over stablecoin dollarization. Earlier Bank for International Settlements research points in a similar direction on the durability of dollar access. The evidence is less conclusive about how much monetary control governments lose: persistent transfers, lasting dollar holdings and a weaker response to interest rates are different outcomes. Reuter compares 217 activations of capital-flow measures with countries that introduced no measure in the surrounding months.