This paper studies the benefits of central clearing and the design of a central counterparty (CCP) with an optimal contracting approach. Investors sign contracts to hedge an underlying exposure. There is counterparty risk because investors can default on the contract due to idiosyncratic shocks...

This paper shows that collateralised short-term debt, although privately optimal for reducing borrowers' moral hazard, can cause fragility (multiple equilibria) when the collateral market is illiquid. A new form of coordination failure between borrowers' ex ante margin and risk-taking decisions...

This working paper was written by Max Bruche (Humboldt University of Berlin) and John C.F. Kuong (INSEAD).We consider a model in which dealers intermediate trades between clients and provide immediacy, or, market liquidity. Dealers can exert unobservable effort to improve the chance of...