Jeremy Barnum told JPMorgan shareholders that yield-bearing stablecoins risk creating a parallel banking system without the safeguards of traditional regulation. Stablecoins emerged as a topic during JPMorgan Chase’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, with executives expressing support for blockchain technology while warning that certain stablecoin designs could threaten the regulated banking system. The comments came in response to a question from Evercore analyst Glenn Schorr, who asked about stablecoins in light of recent industry lobbying by the American Bankers Association and ongoing congressional markups related to digital asset legislation. Responding to the question, JPMorgan chief financial officer Jeremy Barnum said the bank’s position aligns with the intent of the GENIUS Act, which seeks to establish guardrails around stablecoin issuance. Read more
Ethereum remains the leader in total value locked, but declining usage and economic uncertainty in the United States may hinder a rally to $4,000. Key takeaways: Ether trades near $3,200 as weaker network usage and US economic uncertainty limit its price upside. Layer-2 networks drive most Ethereum activity, but cheaper rival blockchains reduce the chance of Ether reclaiming $4,000 soon. Read more