For weeks, cryptocurrency firms have been actively courting skeptical banking institutions in an effort to salvage a comprehensive digital asset bill that could reshape critical parts of the market. These companies are now making fresh concessions centered on the core area of contention: stablecoins.
According to individuals familiar with the matter, the new proposals include granting community banks a more significant role within the stablecoin ecosystem—for instance, by allowing them to collaboratively hold reserves or issue tokens. While not all crypto companies endorse these ideas, the overtures signal a redoubled effort to push for the passage of the market structure bill.
Progress on the legislation, which cleared the House of Representatives last year, has stalled due to significant disagreements within the Senate. A major point of dispute is whether cryptocurrency trading platforms like Coinbase Global (COIN.US) should pay rewards to users holding stablecoins, a type of virtual asset designed to maintain a peg to the U.S. dollar.
Banks contend that such arrangements could pose a potential threat to checking and savings accounts, which are where customers traditionally park idle funds. A meeting convened by the Trump administration at the White House on Monday brought together crypto and banking trade groups, but the talks ultimately failed to yield any agreement on resolving key contentious issues.
In recent days, cryptocurrency companies have floated several potential compromise solutions, according to insiders. Some of these individuals stated that the proposals include requiring stablecoin issuers to hold a portion of their reserves—the funds backing their virtual assets—at community banks.
Another source indicated a separate proposal aimed at streamlining the process for community banks to issue their own stablecoins. They emphasized that no consensus on a solution has been reached between the two sides. It remains unclear whether these proposals are sufficient to alleviate banking concerns about potential customer deposit withdrawals.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott told media on Wednesday that he remains hopeful a balanced agreement can be found between the two camps. He stated, "We can both protect consumers and community banks, while also lowering prices and expanding market access through innovation and competition. Both sides are working to find a compromise to ensure innovation remains in the United States."
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