Equity Is crypto growing up? Tether risk, Stripe’s stablecoin play, and the GENIUS Act explained
33 snips
Feb 25, 2026 Jacquelyn Melanick, CEO of Token Relations and former TechCrunch crypto reporter, breaks down crypto’s latest shifts. She talks ETH Denver’s cooling scene. She covers policy noise around the GENIUS and Clarity bills. She explains Stripe’s quiet stablecoin moves and Tether’s reserve risks. She maps where startups and venture dollars are actually headed.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
White House Mediates Stablecoin Rulemaking
- The White House is mediating between banks and crypto firms to finalize the Market Structure/Clarity Act, with compromises expected by March 1st.
- Patrick Witt described closed-door meetings and a focus on resolving disputes over stablecoin yield and deposit flight risk.
Regulators Shift Toward Rulemaking Over Enforcement
- The SEC's public stance is shifting away from treating everything in crypto as a security and toward writing clearer rules before enforcement.
- Hester Peirce and others indicate non-security classifications for many tokens, though tokenized stocks will still be securities.
Purpose Built Chains Replace General Purpose Blockchains
- Major fintechs and exchanges are launching purpose-built chains instead of relying on general-purpose blockchains, targeting specific use cases like tokenized stocks.
- Robinhood's testnet drew over a million wallets in a week as it focuses on finance-centric products.