WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has signed a law to create a regulatory regime for dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies known as stablecoins, a milestone that could pave the way for the digital assets to become an everyday way to make payments and move money.

The bill, dubbed the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National In­­novation for US Stable­coins Act), passed in the House of Repre­sentatives by a vote of 308 to 122, with support from nearly half the Democratic members and most Republicans. It had earlier been approved by the Senate.

The law is a huge win for crypto supporters, who have long lobbied for such a regulatory framework in a bid to gain greater legitimacy for an industry that began in 2009 as a digital Wild West famed for its innovation and speculative chaos.

“This signing is a massive validation of your hard work and pioneering spirit,” said Trump at a signing event that included dozens of government officials, crypto executives and lawmakers.

“It’s good for the dollar and it’s good for the country.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a statement, said the new technology would buttress the dollar status as the global reserve currency, expand access to the dollar economy and boost demand for US Treasuries, which back stablecoins.

Stablecoins are desig­ned to maintain a constant value, usually a 1:1 US dollar peg, and their use has exploded, notably by crypto traders moving funds between tokens. The industry hopes they will enter mainstream use for sending and receiving payments instantly.

The new law requires stablecoins to be backed by liquid assets — such as US dollars and short-term Treasury bills — and for issuers to disclose publicly the composition of their reserves .

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2025