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In early February 2026, cryptocurrency firms proposed significant concessions to the banking industry in a high-stakes effort to break a legislative deadlock over the CLARITY Act, a key digital asset market structure bill. The move comes after a series of White House-led meetings, including a critical summit on February 2, 2026, failed to resolve deep-seated disputes over stablecoin rewards.
The Proposed Concessions
To address banking industry fears of "disintermediation" (where customers move deposits from banks to crypto platforms), several crypto firms have suggested new compromises:
Direct Bank Participation: Some proposals would allow banks to issue their own stablecoins through partnerships with crypto firms.
Reserve Management: Crypto firms have offered to let community banks hold a significant portion of the reserves backing stablecoins, providing these banks with new revenue opportunities.
Revenue Sharing: New ideas include requiring stablecoin issuers to hold specific percentages of their tokens at community banks to maintain local liquidity.
The "Yield vs. Rewards" Impasse
The primary roadblock remains a disagreement over whether crypto exchanges like Coinbase can offer users "rewards" for holding stablecoins.
The Banking Position: Banks argue that these rewards function as interest, which the GENIUS Act (passed in July 2025) prohibits for stablecoin issuers. They fear this creates an uneven playing field that could drain deposits from traditional bank accounts.
The Crypto Position: Industry leaders contend that rewards are essential for competitiveness in the payments space and are distinct from the interest payments banned by the GENIUS Act.
Current Legislative Status (February 2026)
The CLARITY Act has already passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate Banking Committee.
White House Deadline: Administration officials have reportedly directed both parties to reach a substantive compromise on yield-related language by the end of February 2026.
Senate Outlook: Senate Banking Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) expressed optimism on February 4, 2026, stating that a compromise would help keep financial innovation within the United States. However, a closed-door meeting of Senate Democrats on the same day showed progress but ended without a final agreement.

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