The path to making America the “crypto capital of the world” appeared to clear significantly on Wednesday as industry leaders and lawmakers announced a truce in the legislative battle over market structure.
Appearing together at the World Liberty Forum, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Senator Bernie Moreno expressed newfound confidence that the CLARITY Act will pass by April 2026.
The optimism follows a rocky January where Coinbase famously “rug-pulled” its support for the bill over provisions that would have banned interest-bearing stablecoins. Armstrong clarified that his opposition wasn’t a “block,” but a call to return to the table.
“There is now a path forward where we can get a win-win-win outcome,” Armstrong said, noting that the smartest banks are now “leaning in” rather than fighting the inevitable.
Senator Moreno, a former crypto entrepreneur himself, argued that the bill’s focus on stablecoin rewards is essential for national security.
By allowing these assets to compete with traditional bank deposits, Moreno claimed the U.S. could effectively “dollarize the world” and reduce treasury borrowing costs by hundreds of billions of dollars.
“Unless you own a bank, you probably shouldn’t care,” Moreno told the audience, framing the debate as a choice between protecting outdated banking models or empowering consumers with faster, high-yield digital cash.
The conversation also pivoted to technical risks, specifically the concern that quantum computing could “break” the blockchain.
Armstrong was quick to dismiss the threat as a “solvable engineering challenge,” revealing that Coinbase is already coordinating with major networks like Ethereum and Bitcoin to upgrade to post-quantum cryptographic standards.
The duo also cheered recent news from CFTC Chairman Mike Selig, who this week reaffirmed federal jurisdiction over prediction markets. Armstrong, whose “Everything Exchange” now includes these markets, praised the move as a vital check against state-level efforts to classify the sector as illegal gambling.
With the White House and the “Crypto Czar” David Sacks reportedly meeting daily with stakeholders, the “April milestone” has become the primary target for a industry eager to trade regulatory “word salad” for a clear, national standard.
