DeFi Lending: Returns, Leverage, and Liquidation Risk Staff analytical paper 2026-13 Jonathan Chiu, Furkan Danisman DeFi lending with proper governance is operationally viable, but it also faces constraints related to capital efficiency, liquidation risk, and systemic fragility within the crypto ecosystem. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E5, E50, E58 Research Theme(s): Money and payments, Digital assets and fintech, Payment and financial market infrastructures
Examining the macro drivers of mortgage arrears in Canada Staff analytical paper 2026-12 Thomas Michael Pugh, Tao Wang, Taylor Webley Mortgage debt represents over 70% of all Canadian household financial liabilities, and the performance of these debts is critical to the health of the financial system. We explore the relationships between mortgage arrears and key macroeconomic fundamentals such as labour market variables, interest rates, house prices and inflation. We then develop a framework to assess future household mortgage stress. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E2, E3, E37, E5, G, G5, G51 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Household and business credit, Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting
Public vs. Private Payment Platforms: Market Impacts and Optimal Policy Staff working paper 2026-10 Youming Liu, Francisco Rivadeneyra, Edona Reshidi We study the competition between a welfare-maximizing public payment platform (e.g., CBDC or fast payment system) and a profit-maximizing private platform in a two-sided market, deriving optimal public pricing and showing how network effects, fragmentation, and policy mandates like zero fees or cost recovery shape welfare, usage, and fee incidence. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): D, D4, E, E4, E42, E5, E58 Research Theme(s): Money and payments, Digital assets and fintech, Payment and financial market infrastructures, Retail payments
The Governor’s Challenge: A Decade of Success Staff analytical paper 2026-9 James Chapman, Stéphanie Houle, Lawrence L. Schembri The Governor’s Challenge (GC) by the Bank of Canada marked its tenth year as a successful outreach and education initiative, designed to strengthen public understanding of macroeconomics and monetary policy. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E5
The Usage of Security Lending Facilities under Unconventional Monetary Policy: Evidence from Sweden Staff working paper 2026-9 Marianna Blix Grimaldi, Fabienne Schneider, David Vestin This paper examines the interaction between quantitative easing (QE) and the securities lending facility (SLF) using a detailed dataset on Riksbank QE purchases, Swedish DMO SLF transactions and OTC repo deals. A theoretical model further shows how excess demand for assets and search frictions shift the SLF from a backstop to a first-resort tool. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, E58, G, G2, G21 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Market structure, Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Monetary policy, Monetary policy tools and implementation
Project Samara Research Paper Staff analytical paper 2026-8 Rakesh Arora, Umar Faruqui, Scott Hendry, Dinesh Shah, André Usche Project Samara was a real‑world experiment testing distributed ledger technology and wholesale central bank digital money for bond issuance and settlement in Canada. It demonstrated technical feasibility and potential efficiency and risk‑reduction benefits, while highlighting important trade‑offs related to complexity, governance, and regulatory alignment. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E4, E42, E5, E58, G, G2, G28, O, O3, O33 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Funds management, Market structure, Money and payments, Digital assets and fintech, Payment and financial market infrastructures
The aggregate and heterogeneous effects of responding to shelter inflation Staff analytical paper 2026-5 Michael Irwin, Matías Vieyra This note examines how monetary policy responses to shelter inflation affect both the overall economy and different households. We find that the aggregate macroeconomic effects of responding to shelter inflation are modest, whereas the redistributive consequences across households are substantially larger. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E2, E3, E4, E5, G, G5 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission
AI Paradox: Promise vs. Reality—What It Means for Monetary Policy Staff analytical paper 2026-4 Joshua Brault, Maryam Haghighi, Jing Yang This note reviews the emerging evidence on AI’s labour-market and productivity effects, highlighting early task-level impacts, sizable micro level productivity gains, and the macroeconomic challenges these pose for monetary policy during the transition. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E2, E24, E3, E31, E5, E50, E52, E58 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission, Structural challenges, Digitalization and productivity
Monetary Policy Under Okun’s Hypothesis Staff working paper 2026-3 Felipe Alves, Giovanni L. Violante The current monetary policy framework of the Fed intends to be more ’inclusive’ by running the economy hot for longer during expansions. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E2, E21, E24, E3, E31, E32, E5, E52, J, J2, J24, J6, J64 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Economic models, Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission
Channels of Transmission: How Mortgage Rates Affect House Prices and Rents in Canada Staff analytical paper 2026-2 Nishaad Rao, Tao Wang We use Canadian data to examine how monetary policy affects house prices and the consumer price index for rent through exogenous changes in the mortgage interest rates. It finds that the price and rent impacts operate through various channels and that these impacts vary by region. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31, E5, E52, R, R2, R21 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission