The US Senate crypto bill restricts passive income from stablecoins, and banks' advantages will further expand by 2026.
In January 2026, the United States took a significant step forward in crypto regulation. The Senate released the full text of the Virtual Asset Market Structure Act, a 278-page bill that is seen as a major turning point in the US digital asset regulatory framework. Overall, public attention has mainly focused on DeFi regulation and token classification, but one clause regarding stablecoin yields is quietly changing the competitive landscape between the crypto industry and traditional banks.
According to the latest draft, the US Senate cryptocurrency bill explicitly restricts "passive stablecoin yields." The clause states that companies cannot pay interest solely because users hold stablecoin balances; rewards must be tied to actual usage behaviors, such as staking, providing liquidity, trading, serving as collateral, or participating in network governance. This means that the previously offered "deposit-like yield" models of some stablecoin products will be significantly constrained at the regulatory level.
According to the latest draft, the US Senate cryptocurrency bill explicitly restricts "passive stablecoin yields." The clause states that companies cannot pay interest solely because users hold stablecoin balances; rewards must be tied to actual usage behaviors, such as staking, providing liquidity, trading, serving as collateral, or participating in network governance. This means that the previously offered "deposit-like yield" models of some stablecoin products will be significantly constrained at the regulatory level.
