Photo: Michael Short

Trump held private meeting with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong before urging banks to support crypto bill

The clash between finance and crypto industries intensifies as Trump calls for bank cooperation on key legislation.

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Add us on Google by Vivian Nguyen Mar. 4, 2026

A delegation from Coinbase, led by CEO Brian Armstrong, was at the White House on Tuesday, according to Crypto in America’s Eleanor Terrett.

The visit was reported hours after President Donald Trump issued a statement on Truth Social, urging banks to make a deal with crypto firms over the key crypto market structure bill.

It was confirmed by Politico that Trump had held a closed-door meeting with Armstrong before making his public comments.

In his remarks, Trump criticized banks for standing in the way of pro-crypto bills such as the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act, warning that delays could push innovation to countries like China and hurt American investors.

The CLARITY Act, which aims to establish a comprehensive federal framework for digital asset market structure and delineate jurisdictional boundaries between the SEC and CFTC, faces a major Senate stalemate due to unresolved disputes over stablecoin yield provisions.

Banks have pushed for a ban on stablecoin yields in a bid to curb deposit flight, whereas crypto figures like Armstrong have contended the push unfairly targets crypto firms.

Despite efforts by administration officials to mediate between banks and crypto companies, no resolution has been reached.

However, during his speech at the World Liberty Forum last month, Armstrong said a breakthrough in the bill talks may be near. He expressed optimism that negotiations are back on track, saying there is a “win-win-win” path forward for crypto firms, banks, and consumers.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.