Banks and Crypto Will Merge Into One Digital Asset Industry

Introduction

At Davos, White House crypto adviser David Sacks laid out a forward-looking vision in which banks and crypto firms eventually operate under a single digital asset framework, once Congress finalizes a long-delayed market structure bill. Speaking with CNBC’s Squawk Box during the World Economic Forum, Sacks framed the CLARITY Act as a pivotal but stalled path forward, with the debate over stablecoin yields identified as the main hurdle to passage and eventual implementation.

Key Takeaways

• Regulatory clarity remains the central hinge for a broader crypto-market integration, particularly around stablecoins and yield.
• Senior policymakers and industry players anticipate a convergence of traditional finance and crypto under a unified digital asset regime.
• The yield debate is shaping the pace and shape of the CLARITY Act, influencing support from major platforms.
• Public stance shifts, such as Coinbase’s withdrawal of support, illustrate the fault lines between incumbents and the broader crypto ecosystem.

Tickers mentioned:

Sentiment: Neutral

Price impact: Neutral. The regulatory discourse is not yet translating into immediate price moves.

Trading idea (Not Financial Advice): Hold. Clarity on market structure and stablecoin policy remains the dominant driver of longer-term value in digital assets.

Market context: The industry awaits a clearer regulatory path as debates over yield-bearing stablecoins and bank participation unfold in parallel with congressional negotiations.

The CLARITY Act and the Davos dialogue

During the World Economic Forum, Sacks argued that banks and crypto companies will converge into a single digital asset industry once Congress concludes a comprehensive market structure bill. The conversation, captured in a CNBC interview on Squawk Box, centered on the stalled CLARITY Act and the contentious issue of whether stablecoin issuers should be allowed to offer yield to users.

Sacks said the yield debate has become the primary obstacle to advancing the legislation, but emphasized that lawmakers, banks and crypto companies must compromise to push a market structure bill toward the president’s desk for signature.

He pointed to the GENIUS Act as an example, noting that the bill faced repeated dead ends before ultimately becoming law. He argued that banks should recognize that yield is already a feature within the broader framework being debated, suggesting that a successful package would acknowledge this reality rather than exclude it outright.

After the bill passes, the Banks are going to get fully into the crypto industry. So we’re not going to have a separate banking industry and crypto, it’s going to be one digital asset industry. Over time, the banks like the idea of paying yield because they’re going to be in the stablecoin business.

The ongoing debate over the CLARITY Act

The debate over whether stablecoins should be allowed to pay yield has simmered for months, but intensified last week when Coinbase publicly withdrew its support for the CLARITY Act. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong argued on X that there were “too many issues” with the current draft, citing provisions that would eliminate stablecoin yields while insulating banks from competition.

Banks have contended that permitting yield-bearing stablecoins could spur a flight of deposits from traditional bank accounts, potentially draining trillions of dollars from low-interest savings. Despite the GENIUS Act’s passage in July 2025, which restricted yield offerings by token issuers, third parties like Coinbase remain legally able to provide rewards to users.

Armstrong also signaled a willingness to re-engage with industry peers once legislative momentum resumes. On Squawk Box, he noted that with the bill stalled in the Senate, there remains an opening to sit down with bank CEOs to explore a win-win outcome that could unlock broader adoption for digital assets.