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A loophole for rewards could protect Coinbase from a looming D.C. ban on stablecoin interest payments

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Coinbase's 2025 revenue (Coinbase)

If lawmakers ultimately ban stablecoin rewards under the proposed CLARITY Act, Coinbase (COIN) could lose one tool it uses to attract users to hold digital dollars on its platform — though analysts say the impact on the exchange’s business may be limited.

As lawmakers debate the future of stablecoin regulation in Washington, one unresolved question in the proposed CLARITY Act could have significant implications for Coinbase and other stablecoin partners’ business model: whether companies will be allowed to share yield with stablecoin holders.

The bill, which has been stalled in Congress since January, seeks to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins — digital tokens typically pegged to the U.S. dollar. A central point of contention is whether crypto firms should be allowed to pass through the yield earned on the reserves backing those tokens. Banks and some lawmakers have pushed to prohibit interest payments, while crypto companies, including Coinbase, have argued that restricting rewards would undermine stablecoins’ utility and competitiveness.

However, this week there were some glimmer of hope from D.C. One possible deal may be that stablecoin issuers and their partners tweak the language of their offerings to make them sound distinct from bank deposits, Senator Cynthia Lummis said Wednesday.

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Read more: Key U.S. senator on crypto market structure bill negotiation: ‘We think we’ve got it’

Still, for Coinbase, the issue matters because stablecoins, particularly USD Coin (USDC), have become an important source of revenue and user engagement.

Under the CLARITY Act’s current draft, stablecoin issuers would be barred from paying interest directly to holders. But according to one industry source familiar with the legislation who didn’t want to be named, the language leaves room for alternative structures that could still allow rewards to reach users.

“There are so many loopholes in the CLARITY Act when it comes to stablecoin yields that the genie is kind of out of the bottle already,” the source told CoinDesk. While the bill prohibits issuers from paying interest, it does not clearly ban exchanges or platforms from distributing incentives such as rebates, credits or other rewards.

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The distinction between “interest” and “rewards” is thin, the source added. Marketing incentives or loyalty programs could effectively replicate the economic impact of yield while technically remaining compliant. That echoes similar debates around guidance tied to the GENIUS Act, where the line between restricting yield and shaping how it can be distributed through partners remains unclear.

Another provision in the bill may further complicate enforcement. The legislation contains a carveout for payments tied to activity — meaning yield could potentially be distributed if a stablecoin is used in transactions, lending or other financial activity. In practice, that could allow structures where stablecoins are routed through decentralized finance protocols to generate returns before those rewards are passed on to users.

Even partnerships between issuers and exchanges could potentially achieve a similar result. For example, an issuer could earn yield on Treasury reserves, share some of that revenue with an exchange partner and have the exchange distribute rewards to users — an arrangement that regulators have warned might constitute evasion but that is not explicitly banned in the bill’s current form.

“It feels like even a mediocre marketing professional could come up with several creative structures that would be compliant,” the source said.

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Not ‘existential’

Wall Street analysts say that the debate has implications for Coinbase but is unlikely to threaten the company’s broader business model.

Owen Lau, an analyst at Clear Street, said the ability to share stablecoin yield is only one of many ways the company attracts users to its platform.

“It’s important, but it’s not even close to existential,” Lau said. Coinbase already generates revenue from trading, derivatives and its Base blockchain ecosystem, and many users come to the platform for services beyond stablecoin rewards.

In 2025, transaction revenue remained the exchange’s main source of revenue, though stablecoin revenue had increased exponentially from the year prior, bringing in $1.35 billion in 2025 compared to $910 million in 2024, making it the second-largest driver of revenue, according to a recent filing.

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Coinbase's 2025 revenue (Coinbase)
Coinbase’s 2025 revenue (Coinbase)

Coinbase, however, takes a slightly different view on this debate.

“Ironically, if a crypto rewards ban went into law, it would make us more profitable since we payout large amounts in rewards to our customers holding USDC,” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong wrote in a post on X in February. “But we don’t want this to happen, it’s better for customers to get rewards, and it’s better for the US to keep regulated stablecoins competitive on a global stage.”

Stablecoin incentives do play a strategic role, however.

Clear Street’s Lau said Coinbase benefits when customers keep USDC on its platform because the company can capture the full share of yield generated by the reserves backing the token. If users move those assets to external wallets or decentralized platforms, Coinbase may receive only a portion of that revenue.

“If they cannot give enough incentive to customers, these people may move USDC away from Coinbase wallets,” Lau said, which could reduce the company’s share of stablecoin-related income.

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At the same time, the near-term financial impact may be limited. Lau noted that Coinbase largely passes stablecoin yield through to users, meaning the revenue is often offset by expenses.

“From an earnings perspective, it actually doesn’t change much,” he said, adding that the bigger question is whether restrictions could slow the long-term growth of USDC adoption.

If the final rules allow activity-based rewards or loyalty-style incentives, Lau said Coinbase could still use those programs to encourage customers to hold and use USDC on its platform, potentially driving higher market capitalization for the stablecoin and increasing the revenue Coinbase shares with Circle.

For now, the outcome remains uncertain as lawmakers continue negotiating the bill’s language.

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But even if strict limits on yield survive, analysts and industry participants say crypto companies are likely to adapt, ensuring that stablecoins remain a competitive feature of the digital payments ecosystem.

Shares of Coinbase are down about 12% year to date, while bitcoin is down 19%.

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Opera Limited (OPRA) Stock: Browser Giant Pursues 160M CELO Token Acquisition

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OPRA Stock Card

Key Takeaways

  • Opera proposes replacing cash arrangement with 160M CELO token allocation
  • Request represents approximately 27% of current circulating supply
  • MiniPay’s 14M+ registrations justify expanded network participation
  • Voting power capped at 10% to preserve decentralized governance structure
  • Strategic pivot reflects Opera’s deepening commitment to blockchain payments

Opera Limited (OPRA) stock traded around $14.40 following a minor pullback, while the browser company unveiled plans for a substantial cryptocurrency arrangement with Celo. The firm has submitted a governance request to exchange its existing cash-based agreement for a significant token position. This transition could establish Opera among Celo’s most influential network participants.


OPRA Stock Card

Opera Limited, OPRA

Browser company transitions from cash payments to long-term token ownership

Opera has presented a formal governance petition requesting 160 million CELO tokens distributed across a three-year timeline. The arrangement would eliminate quarterly cash disbursements in favor of direct token ownership. This structural change creates stronger alignment between Opera’s financial interests and the blockchain’s success.

The proposed allocation accounts for approximately 27% of CELO’s currently available circulating tokens. Additionally, it comprises roughly 16% of the cryptocurrency’s maximum capped supply. The substantial size of this request demonstrates Opera’s intention to establish a meaningful presence within the ecosystem.

CELO was trading near $0.07 during reporting hours, significantly below its 2021 all-time highs. Despite current valuations, the token allocation provides considerable upside potential should market conditions improve. Consequently, Opera’s strategy balances forward-looking opportunity with present-day market realities.

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Decentralization safeguards and treasury mechanics structure token distribution

The governance proposal details a single transfer from Celo’s unreleased token reserves to an Opera-managed wallet. This arrangement formalizes the browser company’s transition to long-term ecosystem participant. The mechanism replaces ongoing payments with consolidated token ownership.

The framework restricts Opera’s governance participation to maximum 10% of total staked CELO under standard circumstances. This limitation safeguards the network’s decentralized decision-making processes. Emergency situations may permit temporary adjustments to these restrictions.

Token holder consensus remains essential before implementation, as community members will evaluate the proposal through established governance procedures. Stakeholder feedback will determine whether the allocation magnitude receives approval. The final decision will establish Opera’s authority and influence within Celo’s governance framework.

Wallet platform success drives Opera’s strategic positioning within payment network

Opera grounded its token request in MiniPay’s demonstrated performance, its self-custody digital wallet developed on Celo infrastructure. The application enables peer-to-peer stablecoin transfers using simple phone number identification. It further accommodates regional payment systems across diverse geographical markets.

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MiniPay has accumulated over 14 million user registrations following its 2023 introduction. The platform has facilitated more than 420 million transactions spanning across 66+ countries worldwide. These metrics underscore its significance in generating network engagement and activity.

Opera intends to enable over 50 million users to convert rewards into USDT directly through MiniPay. This feature integration may accelerate wallet adoption and transaction throughput. Through these developments, Opera reinforces both operational and economic ties with Celo.

Opera shares registered near $14.60 during recent trading following a modest decline. The organization continues broadening its cryptocurrency involvement through product development and direct token ownership. The pending agreement could fundamentally transform its standing within blockchain-powered payment systems.

 

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Zcash price falls below $240 amid profit-taking: what’s next for ZEC?

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A trader analyzes a financial price chart on a smartphone while multiple market charts display on monitors in the background.
Zcash Price Outlook
  • Zcash price was down nearly 10% in the past 24 hours.
  • The ZEC token changed hands at around $239 as bulls risk a key support level.
  • Is the dip a healthy consolidation move or the start of a deeper correction?

Zcash (ZEC) pulled back sharply on Thursday, falling nearly 10% in intraday performance as the surge to a multi‑month high near $280 risked fading.

The privacy coin traded to lows of $239, with the retreat coming amid a broader risk‑off shift in crypto markets.

Profit‑taking across the board means ZEC’s recent breakout could fuel bears’ move towards a key psychological support at $230.

Can bulls hold onto support levels, or is Zcash price poised for an even deeper correction?

Why is the Zcash price down today?

Zcash’s slide from the $280 level reflects a combination of several short‑term factors.

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Broadly, it’s the investor jitters around the global macro and geopolitical environment.

Bitcoin, for instance, is struggling to hold gains above $70k, and a similar outlook is engulfing top altcoins, including Ethereum, Solana, BNB, and XRP.

A key perspective is the profit‑taking amid heightened macro uncertainty.

ZEC outlook amid key network growth metrics

Zcash price has shown resilience amid interest in privacy coins, with a recent spike to $280 aligning with this sentiment amid Zodl’s milestone.

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Despite the pullback to $239, bulls remain positive as on-chain metrics outline notable network growth.

For instance, Zcash’s hashrate has hit a new all-time high of 16.54 GS/s.

Meanwhile, shielded supply has climbed to 5.15 million ZEC, accounting for roughly 31% of the coin’s circulating supply.

A surge in shielded supply indicates growing demand for private transactions.

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Importantly, a sizable portion of ZEC is off crypto exchanges, which signals a long-term bullish view.

The robust network security and increased interest in privacy-focused transactions offer a two-pronged approach to adoption, and could boost ZEC price.

Zcash price technical picture

From a technical standpoint, ZEC’s daily chart points to a mixed outlook with oscillators and moving averages leaning neutral-to-towards selling.

Zcash Price Chart
Zcash price chart by TradingView

The current structure suggests risk appetite could allow for a clean breakout to $300.

In this case, bulls must flip $240 into a major support base, with the 50 EMA at $262 crucial.

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Further upside movement will bring the 200 EMA ($281) into view.

Above these levels lie $300 and the 100 SMA at $339, which could be a key resistance zone as bulls eye the $500 target.

Zcash’s sharp pullback after the spike to $280, therefore, provides bulls with an opportunity to pump amid a shakeout of weak hands.

However, if short‑term selling gains momentum amid broader crypto weakness, the coin’s price could fall to $206 and then $185.

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Coinbase Subdomain Prompts Users to Enter Seed Phrases

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Coinbase Subdomain Prompts Users to Enter Seed Phrases

Security researchers have raised concerns about a Coinbase-associated Commerce page that appeared to prompt users to enter wallet recovery phrases, warning that such a flow could normalize behavior commonly exploited in phishing scams.

The page has circulated widely on social media after being flagged by the founder of the blockchain security platform SlowMist, Yu Xian, widely known as Cos.

“I’m really puzzled why Coinbase would have a page like this, directly asking users to input their plaintext mnemonic phrases for asset recovery,” Yu wrote in an X post on Wednesday, adding: “Such an insecure practice is simply unbelievable.”

Coinbase has yet to address the issue publicly. The company told Cointelegraph it was looking into the matter and did not provide additional information. Cointelegraph also approached Yu Xian for comment, but had not received a response by publication.

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Recovery phrases give full control over a self-custody wallet and should never be shared with third parties, customer support agents or untrusted websites. They are normally used only in trusted wallet recovery or import flows.

Source: Yu Xian

Coinbase referred to the subdomain as a commerce “withdrawal tool”

According to blockchain sleuth ZachXBT, the page in question was referenced in a Coinbase Help guide related to its Commerce product.

The guide, now appearing to have been removed, reportedly outlined an option for users to recover funds by importing their seed phrase into a compatible wallet such as Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask. It also directed users to a withdrawal tool hosted at the same subdomain that has drawn scrutiny.

Source: Coinbase Commerce

The help documentation also emphasizes that Commerce wallets are self-custodial, meaning Coinbase does not have access to users’ seed phrases and cannot recover funds if they are lost.

Related: OpenClaw devs targeted by phishing scam promising free ‘CLAW’ tokens

“So basically Coinbase has an official page live threat actors can use to target Coinbase users via seed phrase social engineering if they wanted?” ZachXBT wrote on X.

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Coinbase advises against pasting seed phrases into any website

It remains unclear whether the page in question was the result of a technical error or another issue on Coinbase’s side.

In another guide, Coinbase strongly advised users to never paste seed phrases into any website.

Source: Coinbase

On Tuesday, Coinbase warned that scammers are posing as customer support over the phone or online to steal login information and verification codes. The company said it will never reach out, directing users to its official channels on X and Reddit.

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