About this episode
After years of hostility toward crypto, the U.S. passed its first-ever federal law regarding the industry. The GENIUS Act, stablecoin legislation backed by both parties, was signed by President Trump’s desk after a last-minute showdown in Congress. Despite being seen as a sure thing, the bill’s path turned turbulent this week, with objections from Democrats over Trump’s crypto ties, and a sudden revolt from the Freedom Caucus around anti-CBDC language. Now that it’s through, what will this law actually do? And who stands to benefit—or lose ? In this episode, Dante Disparte, Circle’s chief strategy officer and one of the key players behind the legislation, joins Unchained to explain: How the bill won bipartisan support despite political tensions Why banks may think twice before issuing stablecoins And why Circle is applying for a national trust bank charter Plus, the battle over interest-bearing stablecoins, how this bill fits into the broader financial regulatory landscape, and whether U.S. consumers and the dollar come out ahead. Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Xapo Bank FalconX Dante Disparte , Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy and Operations at Circle Unchained: GENIUS Act Passes: Who Are the Winners, Losers, and What Comes Next? House Passes Landmark Crypto Legislation: GENIUS Act and Digital Asset Bills Circle Seeks U.S. Banking License to Directly Custody Billions in USDC Reserves Fortune: JPMorgan Chase’s new fees for data could ‘cripple’ crypto and fintech startups, executives warn Reuters: Some big US banks plan to launch stablecoins, expecting crypto-friendly regulations Timestamps: 🎬0:00 Intro 🇺🇸 2:23 Why Dante says this “crypto week” went better than anyone expected 🤝 3:44 How the GENIUS Act won bipartisan support despite major political friction 📜 6:10 Why Dante believes the bill is bigger than just crypto 🏦 9:02 How Circle plans to compete with the banking giants 🪪 15:22 What Circle hopes to achieve with its national trust bank application 🔐 18:28 Why financial privacy matters so much in the U.S. system 💵 19:34 How deposit tokens differ from stablecoins 📈 22:34 What Circle might do when interest-bearing stablecoins are finally allowed 👛 27:43 How this new law could impact everyday Americans and their money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices