NEW YORK: Top-tier U.S. banks are already running pilot programmes involving stablecoins, crypto custody and digital-asset trading in partnership with Coinbase, according to remarks by the company’s CEO Brian Armstrong.
Armstrong revealed this collaboration while speaking at the New York Times DealBook Summit.
He said that several of the largest banks in the country are treating cryptocurrency not as a fringe experiment, but as a core business line — and warned institutions that resist crypto adoption risk being “left behind.”
Though he did not name the banks involved, independent reports and industry-tracking outlets highlight that major financial institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of America are among those running test-programs with Coinbase — focusing on stablecoins, crypto custody services and trading infrastructure.
The pilots come at a pivotal moment for the crypto industry. After a volatile period for digital-asset prices, institutional players appear to be quietly laying the groundwork for a deeper integration of cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets into mainstream finance. According to analysts, such collaborations could accelerate the adoption of stablecoins and other blockchain-based innovations across traditional banking networks.
Armstrong used the platform to push for clearer regulation, calling on U.S. policymakers to swiftly pass legislation like the CLARITY Act to define market structure rules for digital-asset exchanges and token issuers — a move he said is vital for scaling crypto safely and responsibly.
As crypto enters what some are calling a new era of institutional acceptance, today’s announcement signals that the gap between traditional finance and digital assets may be shrinking faster than many expected.
