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Armstrong Sets Red Line as Banks Renew Bid to Curb Stablecoin Rewards

The Coinbase CEO predicts U.S. banks will eventually seek permission to pay interest on stablecoins.

Overview

  • Banking trade groups are pressing Congress to reopen the GENIUS Act to block platforms from passing yield to stablecoin users.
  • Brian Armstrong publicly rejected any move to revisit the law and called the banking campaign a wasted effort.
  • He forecast that banks will later lobby to offer interest-bearing stablecoin features once competitive pressures mount.
  • The GENIUS Act bars issuers from paying interest but allows intermediaries like exchanges to share Treasury-derived returns, which banks say challenge deposits by offering roughly 4% to 5%.
  • A coalition of 125 crypto firms urged the Senate Banking Committee to keep the law intact, as lawmakers also circulate a tax discussion draft covering small payments and staking income.