Fundamental questions on central counterparties: A review of the literature

Abstract

Central counterparties (CCPs) function as financial infrastructures for capital markets in derivatives. They are designed to reduce aggregate counterparty credit risk. Although CCPs have existed for well over a century, they have only gained prominence after the Great Financial Crisis compelled the G20 to implement the mandatory clearing policy to make over-the-counter derivative transactions safer. This has led to a boom in CCP literature, 60% of which has been published in the last 5 years. This article provides a review of the literature on derivative CCPs focusing on some fundamental topics regarding the raison d'être, resilience, and governance of the CCP.