Coinbase's Chief Policy Officer rebuts the American Bankers Association: There is no evidence that stablecoin rewards lead to bank deposit outflows

According to CoinDesk, Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad wrote an article for CoinDesk rebutting the arguments made by the American Bankers Association (ABA) against the stablecoin reward provisions in the Clarity Act. ABA CEO Rob Nichols claimed that only minor wording changes were needed to strengthen the bill and warned that allowing stablecoin rewards would lead to a loss of deposits for community banks.

Shirzad pointed out that Coinbase has been paying stablecoin rewards for USDC for over four years, while community bank deposits grew by 26% from June 2019 to March 2026, amounting to approximately $482 billion.

Shirzad cited research from Charles River Associates and the Economic Advisory Council stating that there is no significant correlation between stablecoins and bank deposits. He emphasized that the credit card industry was built on reward mechanisms, and the banking industry itself relies on this model. The current text of the bill was reached after months of negotiations between Senators Tillis and Alsobrooks and bank representatives, clearly delineating the boundaries: prohibiting returns on idle funds but allowing compensation for real activities.

Shirzad believes that the Clarity Act will grant banks the broadest statutory powers since the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, including custody, staking, lending, payments, clearing, and market-making, with community banks benefiting the most. He called on all parties to accept this compromise and work together to advance the bill.