Circle CEO: Stablecoins Can't Pay Interest but Should Have Alternative Reward Mechanisms Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire @jerallaire stated during a WSJ Events podcast interview on March 20, 2026, that the GENIUS Act explicitly prohibits stablecoin issuers from directly paying interest to users. The real debate lies in whether distributors and service providers can offer reward mechanisms. He believes that as stablecoins and digital currencies integrate into internet software architecture, traditional finance won't disappear but will face intense yet fair competition, similar to the early days of the internet era. Source: WSJEvents