U.S. Banks Sound Alarm on Stablecoin Loophole in GENIUS Act

The post U.S. Banks Sound Alarm on Stablecoin Loophole in GENIUS Act appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

A coalition of major U.S. banking groups, led by the Bank Policy Institute (BPI), is urging Congress to act fast on a “dangerous gap” in the GENIUS Act. This gap could let stablecoin issuers sidestep the law by offering interest through affiliated platforms, including crypto exchanges, a move bankers warn could shake the very foundations of the financial system.

$6.6 Trillion at Risk

In a strongly worded letter to Congress, also signed by the American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers of America, and the Financial Services Forum, the groups warned of a potential $6.6 trillion deposit flight from banks.

This, they argued, would choke credit availability, hike interest rates, and make loans harder to get for American households and businesses. The warning echoes an April U.S. Treasury report, which flagged similar risks.

Why Banks Are Worried

Banks use deposits to fund loans for people and businesses. If too much money flows into stablecoins, borrowing could become more expensive, and loans could become harder to get.

Some stablecoins already offer ways to earn without breaking the current rules. For example, holding Circle’s USDC on Coinbase or Kraken can earn rewards, even though the issuer itself isn’t paying interest.

Why Stablecoins Are Different

BPI underscored that stablecoins are not the same as bank deposits or money market funds. Banks use deposits to fund loans and invest in securities, fueling economic growth. Stablecoins, on the other hand, simply maintain their peg without contributing to credit creation. Allowing them to offer yield, bankers say, would be unfair competition and could lure deposits away from the banking sector.

Stablecoins now represent a $280.2 billion market, with Tether and USDC controlling over 80% of that value. The Treasury expects the market could grow to $2 trillion by 2028, making regulatory clarity increasingly urgent.

.article-inside-link {
margin-left: 0 !important;
border: 1px solid #0052CC4D;
border-left: 0;
border-right: 0;
padding: 10px 0;
text-align: left;
}

.entry ul.article-inside-link li {
font-size: 14px;
line-height: 21px;
font-weight: 600;
list-style-type: none;
margin-bottom: 0;
display: inline-block;
}

.entry ul.article-inside-link li:last-child {
display: none;
}

Also Read :
Bitcoin Will Dominate as All Assets Lose Value, Warns Samson Mow
,

Crypto companies, however, are resisting changes. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong emphasized during an earnings call that rewards on USDC holdings are not “interest” but “rewards,” arguing the ban does not apply to them. Similarly, PayPal has signaled plans to continue its stablecoin incentive programs despite the legislation.

The GENIUS Act’s Gray Zone

Signed into law on July 18, the GENIUS Act bans stablecoin issuers from directly paying interest. Yet the law does not explicitly extend this restriction to affiliate businesses. This, bankers fear, could become a backdoor for yield-bearing stablecoins to take off, undermining the banking sector’s deposit base and shaking credit markets during economic stress.

Dollar Dominance vs. Financial Risk

While bankers push for tighter rules, crypto analysts argue that the GENIUS Act could boost U.S. dollar dominance. By promoting dollar-backed stablecoins, the law could strengthen the greenback’s global reserve status. But for now, the tug-of-war between innovation and financial stability is heating up, and Congress may be forced to step in sooner rather than later.

.article_register_shortcode {
padding: 18px 24px;
border-radius: 8px;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
margin: 6px 0 22px;
border: 1px solid #0052CC4D;
background: linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) 0%, rgba(0, 82, 204, 0.1) 100%);
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-body h5 {
color: #000000;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 20px;
line-height: 22px;
text-align:left;
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-body h5 span {
color: #0052CC;
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-body p {
font-weight: 400;
font-size: 14px;
line-height: 22px;
color: #171717B2;
margin-top: 4px;
text-align:left;
}
.article_register_shortcode .media-body{
padding-right: 14px;
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-button a {
float: right;
}
.article_register_shortcode .primary-button img{
vertical-align: middle;
width: 20px;
margin: 0;
display: inline-block;
}

@media (min-width: 581px) and (max-width: 991px) {
.article_register_shortcode .media-body p {
margin-bottom: 0;
}
}

@media (max-width: 580px) {
.article_register_shortcode {
display: block;
padding: 20px;
}

.article_register_shortcode img {
max-width: 50px;
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-body h5 {
font-size: 16px;
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-body {
margin-left: 0px;
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-body p {
font-size: 13px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-top: 6px;
margin-bottom: 14px;
}

.article_register_shortcode .media-button a {
float: unset;
}

.article_register_shortcode .secondary-button {
margin-bottom: 0;
}
}

Never Miss a Beat in the Crypto World!

Stay ahead with breaking news, expert analysis, and real-time updates on the latest trends in Bitcoin, altcoins, DeFi, NFTs, and more.

.subscription-options li {
display: none;
}
.research-report-subscribe{
background-color: #0052CC;
padding: 12px 20px;
border-radius: 8px;
color: #fff;
font-weight: 500;
font-size: 14px;
width: 96%;
}
.research-report-subscribe img{
vertical-align: sub;
margin-right: 2px;
}

var templateIds = “6”;
var listOfSubscribed = [];

function subscribed_popupmodal(template_id) {
var templateId = ‘6’;
getAllSubscriberCategoryList([templateId]);
var subcribemodal = window.parent.document.getElementById(‘subscribe-modal-design’);
if (subcribemodal) {
var modalContent = `

`;
subcribemodal.innerHTML = modalContent;
}
subscribe_unsubscribe_status(template_id);
//getAllSubscriberCategoryList(template_id);
}

function getAllSubscriberCategoryList(getcategoryId) {

jQuery.ajax({
url: ‘https://coinpedia.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php’,
type: ‘GET’,
data: {
action: ‘subscribe_api_ajax_request’,
apiurl: ‘/app/email_newsletter/list’,
},
success: function(response) {
var result = JSON.parse(response.message);

if (result.status === true) {

var idstosubscribed = []
// Populate listOfSubscribed with subscribed category IDs
result.message.forEach(listofcategory => {

if (listofcategory.subscribe_status === 1) {
if (!listOfSubscribed.includes(listofcategory._id)) {

listOfSubscribed.push(listofcategory._id);
}

if (!idstosubscribed.includes(listofcategory.news_cp_category_row_id)) {
idstosubscribed.push(listofcategory.news_cp_category_row_id);
}
}
});

idstosubscribed.forEach(id => {
var subscribeButton = document.getElementById(‘subscribe_’ + id);
var unsubscribeButton = document.getElementById(‘unsubscribe_’ + id);

if (subscribeButton && unsubscribeButton) {
subscribeButton.style.display = ‘none’;
unsubscribeButton.style.display = ‘block’;
var showDownloadReport = document.getElementById(‘download_report’);

if (showDownloadReport) {
showDownloadReport.style.display = ‘block’;
}
}
});
}

},
error: function(xhr, status, error) {
console.error(‘Error:’, error);
}
});
}

function logSelectedSubscriptions(categoryid) {
var unsubscribemodal = document.querySelector(‘.unsubscribed-popup-modal .modal’);
var subscribedmodal = document.querySelector(‘.subscribed-popup-modal .modal’);
unsubscribemodal.innerHTML=”;
subscribedmodal.innerHTML=”;
var selectedSubscriptions = [];
var storeCheckedId = [];
var checkboxes = document.querySelectorAll(‘#subscription-options-‘ + categoryid + ‘ input[type=”checkbox”]’);
var errorMessage = document.getElementById(‘error-message-select’);

// Use a Set to handle unique data-ids
var uniqueSubscribedIds = new Set(listOfSubscribed);

checkboxes.forEach(function(checkbox) {
var dataId = parseInt(checkbox.getAttribute(‘data-id’));
if (checkbox.checked) {

selectedSubscriptions.push(checkbox.id);
storeCheckedId.push(dataId);
} else {

uniqueSubscribedIds.delete(dataId); // Remove unchecked data-id
}
});

// Update listOfSubscribed with unique values
listOfSubscribed = Array.from(uniqueSubscribedIds);

var selectedSubscriptionsString = selectedSubscriptions.join(‘, ‘);
var concatinateSubscribeId = […new Set(storeCheckedId.concat(listOfSubscribed))];

var categoryData = {
‘subscribed_categories’: concatinateSubscribeId
};

var requestSubscriberData = {
action: ‘handle_dynamic_api_request_with_headers’,
security: ‘cf13b1ee7e’,

endpoint: ‘/app/email_newsletter/update_categories’,
token: ”,
data: categoryData
};

jQuery.ajax({
url: ‘https://coinpedia.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php’,
type: ‘POST’,
data: requestSubscriberData,
beforeSend: function(xhr) {
xhr.setRequestHeader(‘X-Requested-With’, ‘XMLHttpRequest’);
},
success: function(response) {
try {
response = response.data;

if (storeCheckedId.length === 0) {
var unsubcribedPopUpmodal =

`;
unsubscribemodal.innerHTML = unsubcribedPopUpmodal;
document.querySelector(‘#subscribe-modal-design .modal’).style.display = ‘none’;
unsubscribemodal.style.display = ‘block’;
unsubscribemodal.classList.remove(‘hide’);
unsubscribemodal.classList.add(‘show’);
document.getElementById(‘subscribe_’ + categoryid).style.display = ‘block’;
document.getElementById(‘unsubscribe_’ + categoryid).style.display = ‘none’;
var showDownloadReport = document.getElementById(‘download_report’);
if (showDownloadReport) {
showDownloadReport.style.display = ‘none’;
}

} else {

var subscribedPopupModal =

let selectedSubscriptionsArray = selectedSubscriptionsString.split(‘,’);
let subscribedCategories = selectedSubscriptionsArray.map(subscription => subscription.split(‘_’)[0]);
let subscribedCategoriesString = subscribedCategories.join(‘, ‘);

subscribedmodal.innerHTML = subscribedPopupModal;
if (document.getElementById(‘selectidname’)) {
document.getElementById(‘selectidname’).textContent = subscribedCategoriesString;
}

document.querySelector(‘#subscribe-modal-design .modal’).style.display = ‘none’;
subscribedmodal.style.display = ‘block’;
subscribedmodal.classList.remove(‘hide’);
subscribedmodal.classList.add(‘show’);
document.getElementById(‘subscribe_’ + categoryid).style.display = ‘none’;
document.getElementById(‘unsubscribe_’ + categoryid).style.display = ‘block’;
var showDownloadReport = document.getElementById(‘download_report’);
if (showDownloadReport) {
showDownloadReport.style.display = ‘block’;
}

}

} catch (e) {
console.error(‘Error parsing response:’, e);
}
},

});
}

function closeModal(template_id) {
var modalId = template_id;
var modal = document.querySelector(‘#’ + modalId); // Using querySelector to find the modal

if (modal) {
modal.classList.add(‘hide’);
modal.classList.remove(‘show’);
setTimeout(function() {
modal.style.display = ‘none’;
}, 500);

} else {
console.warn(‘Modal not found:’, modalId);
}
}

function closeunsubscribemodal() {
var unsubscribemodal = document.querySelector(‘.unsubscribed-popup-modal .modal’);

if (unsubscribemodal) {
unsubscribemodal.classList.add(‘hide’);
unsubscribemodal.classList.remove(‘show’);
}
setTimeout(function() {
unsubscribemodal.style.display = ‘none’;
}, 500);
}

function withoutLoginClicked(withoutlogin_id) {

localStorage.setItem(‘subscribe_without_Login’, ‘true’);
localStorage.setItem(‘subscribe_clicked_id’, withoutlogin_id);
}

document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function() {

const subscribewithoutData = localStorage.getItem(‘subscribe_without_Login’);
const subscribe_clicked_cat_id = localStorage.getItem(‘subscribe_clicked_id’);

// Function to get cookies
function getCookie(name) {
let value = “; ” + document.cookie;
let parts = value.split(“; ” + name + “=”);
if (parts.length == 2) return parts.pop().split(“;”).shift();
}

// Get user token from cookies
const userToken = getCookie(‘user_token’);

if (subscribewithoutData === ‘true’ && userToken) {
// Call the modal function with the category ID
subscribed_popupmodal(subscribe_clicked_cat_id);

// Remove the flag and category ID from localStorage
localStorage.removeItem(‘subscribe_without_Login’);
localStorage.removeItem(‘subscribe_clicked_id’);
}
});

/************************** update susbcriber content **************************** */
function initializeSubscriptionButton() {
var initialListItems = document.querySelectorAll(‘.subscription-options input[type=”checkbox”]’);
initialListItems.forEach(function(item) {
console.log(item.checked, ‘Initial Checkbox checked status’);
});

var listItems = document.querySelectorAll(‘.subscription-options li’);
if (listItems.length === 0) return;

}

function updateSubscriptionButton() {
var listItems = document.querySelectorAll(‘.subscription-options li’);
if (listItems.length === 0) return;

// Update the button text based on whether any list item has the ‘active’ class
updateButtonText(anyActive);
}
document.addEventListener(‘click’, function(event) {
var clickedItem = event.target.closest(‘.subscription-options li’);
if (clickedItem) {
var checkbox = clickedItem.querySelector(‘input[type=”checkbox”]’);
if (checkbox) {
checkbox.checked = !checkbox.checked;
updateSubscriptionButton();
}
}
});

FAQs

Why are US banks warning about stablecoins?

Banking groups fear $6.6T in deposits could flee to yield-bearing stablecoins, threatening credit markets and loan accessibility under the GENIUS Act’s current loopholes.

How big is the stablecoin market today?

Stablecoins are a $280B market (80% dominated by USDT/USDC), projected to hit $2T by 2028 – amplifying regulatory urgency around deposit competition.

Could stablecoins actually help the US dollar?

Yes – analysts say dollar-pegged stablecoins could strengthen global USD dominance, creating tension between financial stability and monetary policy goals.

U.S. Banks Sound Alarm on Stablecoin Loophole in GENIUS Act

$6.6 Trillion at Risk

Why Banks Are Worried

Why Stablecoins Are Different

The GENIUS Act’s Gray Zone

Dollar Dominance vs. Financial Risk

Never Miss a Beat in the Crypto World!

Never Miss a Beat in the Crypto World!

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

You’ve Unsubscribed Successfully

Thank you for subscribing!

FAQs

$76B Stablecoin Inflows Ignite Hopes of a Massive Crypto Bull Run

PrimeXBT Insights: Is Bitcoin About to Overtake Gold? The Numbers May Surprise You

You may also like