Canada has launched a consultation on the stablecoin draft, maintaining the prohibition on yields

The Canadian Ministry of Finance has launched a 60-day public consultation on the stablecoin regulatory draft, which will end on December 23. The draft maintains the prohibition on stablecoin issuers paying interest or returns to holders, including arrangements that encourage customers to hold tokens through third parties, although rewards related to transactions may still be allowed.

The draft requires non-bank issuers to back circulating fiat-pegged tokens with reserves held by qualified Canadian financial institutions at a 1:1 ratio. Qualified institutions include banks, credit unions, and trust companies. Holders must be able to redeem stablecoins for conventional currency within three business days, with a redemption fee cap of 1%. Earlier this year, the government passed the Stablecoin Act, stating that the draft is necessary for the law to take effect and will specify the requirements for issuers to register with the Bank of Canada. The stablecoin framework is expected to take effect by the end of 2027.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Bankers Association stated to The Logic in June that the association firmly supports the explicit prohibition of direct and indirect returns in the Stablecoin Act, as the banking industry is concerned that stablecoin returns may lead to deposit outflows and reduce available lending funds. Coinbase Canada has received permission from the Ontario Securities Commission this year to offer returns on eligible tokens, but must warn of risks and clarify that funds are not covered by deposit insurance. At the end of last month, Canada's six largest banks announced they are exploring a Canadian dollar tokenization system to expedite fund transfers between traditional financial institutions.