MoonPay CEO calls on Congress to keep state authority over stablecoins

Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO of cryptocurrency payment firm MoonPay, is calling on US lawmakers to leave a path open to state-level regulators when passing legislation on stablecoins.

In an April 18 X post, Soto-Wright said he wanted Congress to “keep state-regulated issuers in the game” when it comes to stablecoin regulation, referencing efforts in the House of Representatives and Senate to create a federal regulatory framework. Lawmakers are considering whether to pass the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins, or GENIUS Act, in the Senate and the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy, or STABLE Act, in the House.

“While the cryptocurrency industry has called for federal legislation for years, it has been these state regulators who have provided and continue to provide regulatory clarity and supervision to ensure consumer protection and enable growth in the sector,” said Soto-Wright. “As federal legislation now approaches the finish line, it is essential to preserve viable state pathways for PSIs [permitted stablecoin issuers] that place the state regulators who meet the standards set out in GENIUS and STABLE on equal footing with federal regulators.”

The MoonPay CEO’s comment echoed those of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), which wrote to leadership on the House Financial Services Committee in an April 1 letter and recommended a similar state-level approach. Both the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee voted to advance the bills in March and April, respectively, paving the way for a full floor vote.

Related: Lawmaker alleges Trump wants to replace US dollar with his stablecoin

The STABLE Act, a companion bill modeled after the GENIUS Act, proposed regulating payment stablecoins by limiting them to “permitted payment stablecoin issuers,” allowing for “state qualified” ones. Soto-Wright said the GENIUS bill “stacks the deck” for permitted stablecoin issuers through federal regulators over state-level ones and the Federal Reserve to be the “sole federal regulator for all state PSIs.”

It’s unclear whether the bills have the necessary votes to pass both chambers before being signed into law by US President Donald Trump. The president and his family members have also backed the launch of their own stablecoin through World Liberty Financial, despite allegations of conflicts of interest and potential complications getting the bills through the House and Senate.  

World Liberty Financial, which launched in September 2024, has already received roughly $600 million — largely through token sales — from investors including Tron founder Justin Sun, market maker DWF Labs, venture capital firm Oddiyana Ventures, and investment platform Web3Port. According to the project, its USD1 stablecoin was not tradable as of March 24.

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