The interbank market has historically operated, on its highest levels, as a no-name market. This meant that for the banks at the highest level of international credit quality, interbank transactions could be conducted without discriminating by name. Therefore, they traded among arethemselves at no differential credit risk premiums. A major money center bank trading on such a levelwas said to be trading on-the-run. Thus, on-the-run banks are viewed to have steadfast credit quality. Banks that are not on-the-run are considered to be of less credit quality, sometimes reflecting more country risk than credit risk, and pay slightly higher rates in the interbank market
Interbank Markets are then credit markets, in structure somewhat similar to
any other such market. Although they are of particular importance to the
functioning of the monetary system, in principle lending banks face credit risks
not dissimilar to those they face when lending to other types of agents in the
economy. Although such risks were previously considered to be very low
Interbank Market. Why do you believe it is important for many of the world’s largest commercial and
investment banks to be considered on-the-run in the interbank market?
One of the traditional attributes of the on-the-run interbank market was the ability of the top tier banks to
lend and transact amongst themselves internationally without distinguishing credit quality. It allowed
“tiering” in the interbank market, which had proven over time to be fast and efficient for the conduct of
international financial transactions.