Interbancário

Interbancário refers to activities that occur between banks, including lending and borrowing to manage liquidity and the settlement of large-value payments. The term covers the interbank money market as well as the infrastructure that settles interbank transfers.

In the interbank money market, banks borrow and lend to each other for short periods, using instruments such as unsecured loans, term deposits, and repurchase agreements. The central bank may provide liquidity through operations and set policies that influence interbank rates, which often serve as benchmarks for other financial products.

Interbank payments are settled through payment systems, often real-time gross settlement (RTGS) systems, operated by central banks or designated entities. These systems ensure finality and reduce risk in large-value transfers that must be settled promptly.

Risks in the interbancário framework include liquidity risk, credit risk, and systemic risk, addressed by regulation, capital requirements, collateral frameworks, collateralized lending, reserve requirements, and access to central bank facilities. The interbank market also depends on trust and information transparency to function efficiently.

Related concepts include the interbank market, real-time gross settlement, and central bank liquidity operations.