Key Highlights
- Coinbase says the CLARITY Act is essential to building its “Everything Exchange.”
- Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad says tokenization is transforming global finance beyond crypto.
- The company argues that regulatory certainty is needed to bring tokenized equities, payments, and stablecoins to U.S. customers.
Coinbase says the Senate’s CLARITY Act could become the legislation that enables the next phase of blockchain-based finance in the United States, allowing regulated firms to offer everything from tokenized stocks to stablecoin payments under a clearer legal framework.
Speaking during “Mornings with Maria’ segment on Fox Business on Wednesday, Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad said the company’s long-term vision extends beyond cryptocurrency trading, describing Coinbase as an “Everything Exchange” that aims to bring a full range of financial assets on-chain.
“CLARITY is the piece of legislation that gives us the regulatory certainty to offer those products to our customers,” Shirzad said.
He argued that tokenization is reshaping financial markets in much the same way the internet transformed the movement of information.
CLARITY moves closer to a vote
Coinbase’s comments came as Senator Cynthia Lummis reiterated that lawmakers expect to introduce the CLARITY Act’s final text within days after nearly ten months of negotiations.
Lummis said senators hope to move the legislation within the next few days and are aiming to pass it before Congress begins its August recess.
“It’s very important that we get this bill across the finish line before the August recess begins so we can make the markets aware of the stability that will be provided to them if they remain onshore in the United States to do business,” she said.
She added that she expects the bill could reach the Senate floor during the week of July 20, although the final schedule remains in the hands of Senate leadership.
Why tokenization matters
Shirzad argued that while crypto market prices continue to fluctuate, the broader adoption of blockchain technology continues to accelerate. According to him, financial institutions are increasingly moving traditional assets, including stocks, bonds, and payment infrastructure, onto blockchain networks.
“There’s an enormous move comprehensively across the financial system to move financial assets on-chain,” he added.
He added that Coinbase believes this structural shift is far more important than short-term movements in cryptocurrency prices.
From crypto exchange to “Everything Exchange”
Shirzad said Coinbase has spent the past several years transforming itself from a crypto trading platform into a broader financial services company.
Rather than relying primarily on trading fees, the company has expanded into stablecoins, custody, institutional infrastructure, and subscription-based products. He said, “Coinbase used to be very much a trading platform.”
He said the company’s long-term objective is to provide customers with a unified platform where they can access crypto, tokenized assets, payments, and other financial products.
Previous expansion supports broader strategy
Coinbase has already begun laying the foundation for that broader vision.
Earlier this month, the exchange received regulatory approval in the United Kingdom to offer stocks and derivatives alongside crypto, expanding beyond digital assets into traditional financial markets.
The company has also continued investing in stablecoin infrastructure. Recently, Coinbase joined the x402 Foundation alongside companies including Circle, Stripe, Amazon Web Services, Google, Mastercard, Visa, Ripple, Shopify, and the Solana Foundation to help develop an open payment standard for AI agents, APIs, and internet-native applications.
In May, Coinbase also expanded its AI strategy by partnering with AWS and Privy to help developers integrate embedded stablecoin wallets into autonomous AI applications.
Together, these initiatives reflect Coinbase’s broader effort to position itself at the center of tokenized finance, programmable payments, and AI-driven commerce.
Policy certainty remains the final piece
Despite growing adoption, Shirzad said the industry still needs permanent legislation to provide long-term certainty.
While regulators under the Trump administration have introduced policies that support digital asset innovation, he argued that congressional action is necessary to ensure those policies survive future administrations.
As the Senate prepares to unveil the merged CLARITY Act draft, Coinbase and other industry participants are watching whether Congress can establish what many see as the first comprehensive federal framework for digital asset markets in the United States.
Also Read: Senator Tillis Floats Stablecoin Yield Safeguard in CLARITY Act Talks
