Fun invisible financial fact for people using stable value in fiat.
Stable value (like stablecoin, stablesats, dollar denominated cashu mint, ...) is a long position on fiat. If it's settled in BTC, or if it's based on some collateralized stablecoin, in both cases it is a short position on bitcoin (it's not a naked position, you have the Bitcoin as well).
Only crazy people want to be long Bitcoin and short fiat (that's not a judgement, market says it), so people who want to take the Bitcoin long side of the position usually have to pay the shorts (stable) in some way - interest rate, funding rate.
Another way to look at it: The long Bitcoin position is mathematically equivalent to a Bitcoin collateralized, Fiat denominated loan. If you want to borrow (short) fiat in order to keep your bitcoin exposure and not sell it, you have to pay an interest rate for the loan. It's the market way to convince (bribe) someone to take the long fiat position, which is otherwise batshit crazy.
This part should be obvious, even if not financially, just plainly - if I lend someone fiat, which is depreciating in value, I want to be compensated by the interest (even if the loan itself is risk free, charging for risk is another topic). If I borrow fiat, I fully expect to pay an interest rate on that loan. Are you with me?
OK. Now the fun part: if you have a stable position in a cashu wallet, stablesats channel, ... you:
- are loaning someone fiat (you have the long fiat position, which has the short side to complete the magic of stabilization, otherwise it would not be hedged)
- if you are not paid interest, the business of the counterparty is selling that short fiat (long BTC, or collateralized loan - mathematically the same thing in this case) position to the highest bidder in the process of hedging the stable value
- you are essentially printing new dollars (or other fiat). that's exactly how electronic fiat is created.
Questions? :)