At the World Economic Forum, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stands out as an influential voice on the future of Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto regulation in the United States.
Armstrong claimed he was using Davos to try to build bridges with banking executives after forcing the Senate to suspend consideration of a controversial transparency bill last week. seek an agreement that satisfies both parties.
armstrong he doesn’t hide his dissatisfaction Regarding certain aspects of the bill, particularly in terms of limiting rewards for holding stablecoins.
“Americans should be able to make more money with their money. Banks should be competing on a level playing field,” Coinbase’s CEO said in an interview with CNBC on January 20, 2026.
The Clarity Act, which aims to establish a framework for digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ether (the virtual currency of the Ethereum network), was postponed for consideration by the Senate Banking Committee on January 15, CriptoNoticias reported.
The decision came just hours after Armstrong publicly announced that Coinbase was withdrawing its support for the current document, citing “too many problems.”
The core of the controversy is Prohibition of payments with rewards in stablecoins. This “dangerous gap,” as the bank calls it in a letter to Congress, seeks to avoid the possibility of a large flight of deposits into the crypto ecosystem.
However, Armstrong remains adamant about this, pointing out that “there should be no protectionism,” and advocating for open markets where innovation is not stifled by established interests.
“Win-win” dialogue
Recognizing the need to find common ground, Armstrong said he is using his time in Davos to: direct interaction With CEOs of major financial institutions.
“I’m here to meet with bank executives, and one of the main things I do is try to understand what makes them say yes. I think there is an outcome where everyone wins,” he explained. Reveal your trading strategy. So far, there has been no announcement from the banker on this issue.
Current regulatory content already includes the GENIUS Act, which will be approved in 2025. Imposing strict requirements on stablecoin issuersare required to hold 100% reserves in short-term liquid assets such as U.S. Treasuries. This is in stark contrast to Use fractional reserve model Traditional banking.
Armstrong argues that the competition inherent in rewarded stablecoins directly benefits customers, providing them with an attractive alternative to traditional banking products. It’s not for nothing that Coinbase already offers cryptocurrency infrastructure services 5 of the world’s 20 largest banksas seen at Davos, shows the increasing interconnectedness of both worlds.
The Senate has not yet decided, New date for deliberation of proposed Transparency ActMr. Armstrong’s stance is resolute as he points out, “There is no law better than a bad law.” Despite the setbacks, he is optimistic about the legislation’s chances of moving forward as long as the most controversial provisions are amended.