This comes as more regulatory heat intensifies in the United States, with lawmakers seeking to pass legislation that can potentially
Sonic Labs, a subsidiary of Aptos Labs, has canceled its plans to release a USD-denominated algorithmic stablecoin following the emergence of new U.S. regulations that could stall the creation and use of such stablecoins.
The news was announced by Cronje in a post on X, formerly Twitter, where he said, “We will no longer be releasing a USD based algorithmic stable coin. Completely unrelated, we will be releasing a mathematically bound numerical Dirham which is settled and denominated in USD, which is definitely not a USD based algorithmic stable coin.”
The bill includes a proposed two-year ban on algorithmic stablecoins, which means that no new ones will be allowed to be created in the United States for the next two years. Cronje further explained the shift in a post on X, saying, “We will no longer be releasing a USD-based algorithmic stablecoin.”
Unlike the majority of stablecoins, which are anchored to fiat currencies and commodity markets, algorithmic stablecoins rely on smart contracts and alteration of supply. This structure has raised many concerns among regulators, especially after the crash of TerraUSD (UST) in 2022. The incident led to many market interruptions and losses that can be attributed to UST’s failure.
The collapse of the Terra ecosystem is one of the largest in crypto history, which in a few days brought losses of about $40 billion. UST, which was supposed to yield high returns through the Anchor Protocol, fell to $0.30 and depegged from its $1 USD peg. Meanwhile, TerraUSD, its sister token, has fallen by more than 98% in value. The incident rekindled the focus on algorithmic stablecoins and paved the way for prospects of reform, such as the STABLE Act.
Sonic Labs’ announcement sparked reactions among community members, with some users on social media discussing how the new rules could be circumvented with strategies like launching them before the law is enacted.
In a post, Cronje playfully introduced an “algorithmic dirham” that would be pegged to the USD as an idea. Cronje had previously admitted to the community that failures in the field of algorithmic stablecoins brought great emotional pressure. In an earlier statement, he said, “Pretty sure our team cracked algo stablecoins today, but previous cycle gave me so much PTSD not sure if we should implement.” The comment referred to the stress he went through after the Terra crisis, during which he saw the impact of financial and reputational damage within the industry.
According to the Central Bank of the UAE Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama, blockchain-based currencies can bring a number of advantages that are related to improvements in financial stability and the efficiency of combating financial crime. The UAE has also expressed a willingness to accept some cryptocurrencies since it allows the usage of a dirham based on blockchain technology in addition to the traditional currency.
