Is shadow banking really akin to banking? A critical analysis in light of monetary theory.

This paper purports to show that a very specific theory of money underlies the way in which shadow banking is understood by most economists as well as the regulatory changes that arises from their understanding of the phenomenon. It demonstrates that the "shadow banking" metaphor implicitly relies on an erroneous conception of banking according to which banks are mere intermediaries of loanable funds. An alternative conception of shadow banking is proposed, based on the theory of endogenous money, where banks play a unique and very special role. The paper provides another comprehension of the purpose of the shadow banking system within the overall financial system, which leads to quite different regulatory proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]