The dominance of the U.S. dollar as the linchpin of the international financial system is being increasingly questioned due to shifting geopolitical currents and the country’s growing twin deficits, Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley (MS) said in a report last week.
Enter cryptocurrencies, which, while still in their early stages, have the potential to both erode and reinforce the dollar’s dominance in global finance, the bank said.
“The recent growth in interest of digital assets such as bitcoin (BTC), growth of stablecoin volumes and the promise of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), have potential to significantly alter the currency landscape,” wrote Andrew Peel, Morgan Stanley’s head of digital asset markets.
U.S. monetary policy, combined with the use of economic sanctions, have forced some countries to look for alternatives to the dollar, Peel said, adding that a “clear shift towards reducing dollar-dependency is evident, simultaneously fueling interest in digital currencies such as bitcoin, stablecoins, and CBDCs.”
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