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JPMorgan Chase has warned that stablecoins paying interest to holders could destabilize the traditional banking system by siphoning deposits away from regulated institutions.
During the bank’s fourth-quarter earnings call in January 2026, Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum cautioned lawmakers that yield-bearing stablecoins now replicate core banking functions without the regulatory oversight that governs traditional deposits.
Barnum’s remarks has mounted concern among traditional financial institutions that stablecoins offering yield could compete directly with regulated deposit products, drawing funding away from banks at a time when interest margins remain under pressure.
Stablecoins are digital tokens typically pegged 1:1 with fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar and have become key infrastructure in cryptocurrency trading, payments and cross-border settlement.
However, these stablecoins are unlike insured bank deposits, most stablecoins are issued and backed by private entities subject to varying degrees of regulatory scrutiny.
At issue now is the growing practice among some platforms to offer incentives or yield to holders — a feature banks say resembles traditional interest-bearing accounts.
Critics argue this could prompt large deposit outflows from banks into crypto venues, weakening traditional lending and financial intermediation.
Barnum’s warning echoes similar concerns from community bankers and industry lobby groups who have pressed Congress to tighten stablecoin rules.
“The bank supports innovation,” Barnum added, “but those innovations should not come at the expense of financial stability.”
Lawmakers are already responding. A bipartisan draft of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act circulating in the U.S. Senate would explicitly prohibit digital asset firms from paying interest purely for holding a stablecoin.
Although, while still permitting rewards tied to active participation in blockchain networks, such as staking or liquidity provision.
Supporters of the restrictions argue that banning passive yields on stablecoins would preserve the integrity of the banking system and protect depositors.
Also, critics within the crypto industry counter that overly restrictive rules could stifle innovation in digital finance and push activity offshore, arguing that tailored regulation strikes a better balance between risk and growth.
Recent community banking letters to the Senate stressed that unchecked yield products could draw trillions of dollars out of traditional banks and into digital asset platforms, with potential ripple effects for local lending markets and broader economic stability.
While traditional banks voice concern, many financial institutions are simultaneously exploring ways to integrate digital assets within regulated frameworks.
JPMorgan itself has piloted deposit tokens digital representations of bank liabilities tied to underlying regulated deposits and settlement systems as an alternative to public stablecoins.
These tokens, available to institutional clients, aim to combine blockchain efficiency with the protections of banking regulation.
Industry observers describe this moment as a crossroads: stablecoin adoption continues apace — with payment giants, fintech firms, and other banks embracing tokenized money movement — but the rules governing such products have not fully caught up.
The debate over interest-bearing stablecoins is not merely technical — it strikes at the heart of how money is created, stored and regulated in the digital age.
Tension between innovation and oversight will remain a key driver of policy and product design throughout 2026.
Lawmakers in Washington now face the challenge of crafting frameworks that protect financial stability without inhibiting the evolution of digital finance.
