A bipartisan push on Capitol Hill is giving America’s biggest merchants a new reason to dabble in blockchain.
With the GENIUS Act gliding through a 68–30 Senate procedural vote, the road toward federally approved, dollar-backed stablecoins suddenly looks far less bumpy. Lobbyists say the bill’s focus on strict reserve audits and anti-money-laundering checks is exactly the legal scaffolding large corporations have been waiting for.
Behind the scenes, Amazon and Walmart are sketching out brand-specific tokens that could flow across their own checkouts in milliseconds, according to people briefed on the talks. The numbers explain the urgency: Amazon’s platform rang up roughly $447 billion in e-commerce sales last year, while Walmart’s online tills crossed the $100 billion mark. Even shaving a fraction off card-processing fees would unlock billions in annual savings—and give both firms tighter control over customer spending data.
Momentum isn’t limited to retail. Shopify has already committed to adding USDC payments before 2025 is out, and a banking consortium linked to JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo is discussing a joint token as well. Post-trade giant DTCC, meanwhile, dubbed stablecoins the “ideal instrument” for just-in-time collateral during a May pilot study.
None of these projects will launch until lawmakers finish haggling over the GENIUS Act’s final language and the House gives its blessing. But if the bill lands on the president’s desk, expect a stampede: big-box stores, banks, and fintechs alike appear ready to swap card rails for blockchains the moment Washington hands them a rulebook.
Coinbase has announced a major partnership with JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, aimed at expanding access to cryptocurrencies for over 80 million Chase customers.
Global fintech firm FIS (NYSE: FIS) has entered into a new strategic partnership with a subsidiary of Circle Internet Group, Inc. (NYSE: CRCL) to bring USDC payment capabilities to U.S. financial institutions.
PayPal has launched a new service, Pay with Crypto, aimed at reducing the high costs and complexity of cross-border payments for merchants.
Goldman Sachs and BNY are set to unveil a groundbreaking blockchain initiative that will allow institutional investors to purchase tokenized shares of money market funds, according to CNBC.