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Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Not Closing Deals? You May Have Fallen Into One of These 3 Sales Traps
BERLIN, GERMANY - AUGUST 07: Two men in business business suits shaking hands on August 07, 2014 in ... More Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images) If you work in sales and you're frustrated and struggling to close deals it's probably because you have fallen into one or more of three common sales traps: You're telling, you're accepting, or you're guessing. I should know, like most folks with long careers in sales, I learned my lesson the hard way: Only collaboration really works. Buyers and sellers both want a solution that benefits both parties. But too often, sellers and buyers conspire against one another. Buyers complain that sellers exaggerate and set false expectations. That they don't listen. That they even lie. Sellers complain that buyers withhold information and don't offer access to key stakeholders—that they too don't listen and sometimes lie. At the heart of this disconnect is a lack of collaboration, caused by an overabundance of telling, accepting, and guessing. Let me explain: By telling, I mean you talk too much. Have you ever read an AI-generated meeting report and discovered that you spoke for 70 percent of the total call time? Too often, salespeople tell customers what their problem is and how to solve it. It's a common sales trap. You may deny it but deep down you may in fact believe that it is your job to tell the potential buyer what they should do. The problem is, buyers will listen as you drone on, seemingly happy to be told what they need to do. (More likely, they have checked out, using their meeting with you as a respite from the more intense parts of their day). Don't let an occasional success fool you. Winning a sale by rambling on about your solution is about as reliable as a GPS with no signal. You may get there but only through luck. More often, your outpouring of words and paragraphs is completely off the mark, and you won't find out what's happened until you've lost the deal. In fact, you may never know why you lost. The problem with too much telling is it doesn't allow for enough time for listening to understand the client's challenge. As speaking coach Anne Sugar wrote in the Harvard Business Review, when you talk too much, 'Your ideas get lost because stakeholders lose patience with your habit of dominating the conversation—and start to tune you out.' Sugar offers some tips to improve outcomes. First, measure how long you talk. If you hit three minutes, stop! Maybe set rules, like, I won't talk until two other views are shared. Consider other ways to share your views, whether that's a chart, a link dropped into the chat or a subsequent meeting. Practice compressing your ideas. How would you get your idea across in a tweet, for example? Leave pauses for others to chime in. Finally, ask for feedback and/or help from a trusted colleague. I have a favorite variation on Sugar's advice about leaving pauses for others to chime in: Ask a straightforward question, and then shut up. Count to seven before saying another word to ensure the buyer has ample opportunity to gather their thoughts and answer fully. (Guess what? They almost always tell you something you didn't know!) 'Accepting' is the tendency to take the buyer's stated needs at face value—without probing more deeply or challenging assumptions. It's especially common during the RFP (request for proposal) process, in which clients outline priorities and selection criteria in writing. Sellers are often eager to respond and consider it a show of strength to accept an RFP without equivocation. But in many meetings I've attended, it's clear the decision makers haven't even read their own RFP. It's often based on guesswork—or maybe it's a standard template. In fact, they could benefit from help understanding options they haven't yet considered or having an outsider's perspective on a solution's relevance to their needs. Instead, a salesperson should be willing to voice concerns when they lack enough information to make an appropriate bid. Stating such reservations clearly and asking for meetings with the critical stakeholders—especially those most closely aligned with the actual end-user community— can help elevate the RFP process—transforming it from an exercise in gatekeeping to something far more useful and generative. Start with a softening statement, perhaps complimenting the client's effort to assemble the RFP and thanking them for the opportunity to respond. With that done, however, it's also OK to note that the RFP raised many questions. Rather than run the risk of misinterpreting and giving inaccurate answers, you could suggest, it might help everybody for us to set up some focused 20-minute conversations to better align with additional key decision makers. No doubt, some companies will decline to provide such access. But those instances are rare in my experience, and never make much sense to me. Doesn't the company want the best proposals? Either way, you get credit for your focus on meeting their needs. We've all done it. We meet the client, hustle back to the office fired up, and gather the team to discuss the new opportunity. What follows then are questions. Dozens of them. What exactly does the client need? What's their budget? Who is our competition? What's their current solution? How will they make their decision? And yet, despite the lack of clarity, we rush forward and prepare what I call the guessing document—a proposal listing services that may or may not be helpful to the client. Instead, politely—intentionally—seek the meetings you need to get answers to the questions that will enable you to build a meaningful and relevant proposal. Collaboration Is for Closers We are far more likely to think of workplace collaboration as something that happens intramurally—within our own shops. But workplace collaboration is something to strive for with clients, and potential clients, too. The same activities that produce win-win outcomes inside your organization and set you on path to conquering your BHAGs, can also be applied to the advance work you do with clients. Workplace collaboration can take many forms, each demanding a different level of effort and depth but all guaranteed to lead to a better outcome. Activities include: Of course, collaboration is only possible where there is trust. I've written on this many times before, but our founder Stephen R. Covey surely put it best: 'Without trust we don't truly collaborate; we merely coordinate or, at best, cooperate.' In sales, the obstacles to establishing trust and enabling collaboration may be greater, but the rewards are equally substantial. The idea is this: Instead of telling, accepting, and guessing, pursue mutual exploration. Success starts when buyers and sellers share what they believe to be true, bringing their expertise together to collaborate on finding the best solution. Only then can we take the time to listen and learn everything we need to know about the client so we can provide them with our insights. Only once we have collaborated can we hope to shift gears and talk about making a sale.
Wales Online
30-04-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Cardiff trials world-first recycling project with McDonald's, Greggs and Pret A Manger
Cardiff trials world-first recycling project with McDonald's, Greggs and Pret A Manger People taking part can earn money and help recycle Over 3 billion paper coffee cups are bought in the UK each year (Image: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek/Getty Images ) Keep Wales Tidy and the National Cup Recycling Scheme have partnered alongside an international recycling app to introduce a world-first AI-based initiative to tackle paper cup waste. The scheme was officially launched in Cardiff city centre and there will now be a three-month pilot initiative that will enable the people of Cardiff to recycle their used paper cups at participating Caffè Nero, Costa Coffee, Greggs, McDonald's, and Pret a Manger stores in return for a 5p reward per cup recycled. To take part in the scheme, you would need to download the Bower recycling app, take a picture of your paper cup, return the drink to a participating store and place it in the appropriate cup bin. By doing this you can then earn 5p on the app and also help recycle paper cups properly. The AI element of the scheme lies in the Bower App which now uses AI-powered image recognition to identify paper cups. Previously, the app relied on barcode scanning to recognise packaging, which isn't possible with paper cups as they don't have barcodes. With this new function, when a user takes a photo of a paper cup, the AI can detect not only that it's a PE-lined paper cup but also recognise the brand. This special feature is the first of its kind worldwide. Currently, the app can identify cups from McDonald's, Greggs, Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger, and Caffè Nero. If a cup from another brand is scanned, the AI still recognises it as a PE-lined paper cup and provides relevant recycling information. Users are then given instructions on how to recycle the cup and shown the nearest drop-off points in Cardiff via the map feature. Once they've dropped their cups off, they're rewarded through the app. Participating sites include: Article continues below Caffe Nero, St David's Shopping Centre Caffe Nero, Trinity St Costa Coffee, The Hayes Costa Coffee, St David's Shopping Centre Costa Coffee, Queen St Costa Coffee, Park Place Costa Coffee, Cardiff Central Train Station Greggs, Central Square Greggs, The Hayes Greggs, Caroline St Greggs, St David's Shopping Centre Greggs, St Marys St Greggs, 34 Queen St Greggs, 140 Queen St Greggs, Park Place Greggs, Cardiff University Park Place McDonald's, St Marys St McDonald's, Queen St Pret a Manger, Central Square Pret a Manger, St David's Shopping Centre If the three month pilot is a success, the aim of the scheme is to introduce it not only across Wales but the whole of the UK. Single-use cups remain a significant environmental issue, with the UK disposing of an estimated 2.5 billion paper cups annually – many ending up as litter or in landfill due to improper recycling. Paper cups cannot be recycled within regular recycling, however, specialist cup recycling is possible. Most paper cups are made from high-quality fibre, which can be recycled multiple times into new products. Marketing director of Keep Wales Tidy, Jo Golley, states: 'Paper cups can be recycled — but only if they go in the right bin. Because of the plastic lining, they shouldn't be put in with normal cardboard or they risk contaminating the whole load. That's why this campaign, now live on the Bower app, is such a game-changer. The high-quality paper used in most cups can be recycled more than once — but only if we do it right. We're working with these leading brands in the heart of Cardiff who are committed to making sure every cup collected through this scheme is properly recycled. We're urging the public to back them, use the right bins, and help keep Wales tidy.' McDonalds, Greggs, Costa Coffee, Pret A Manager and Caffe Nero are working collaboratively as part of the National Cup Recycling Scheme. They have together, alongside, Lavazza Professional and Burger King, funded this project. The cups are either backhauled or collected by a waste collector partner. The cups are baled and then sent for recycling at James Cropper paper mill in the Lake District. See video which shows the process of a PE lined cup: Paper cup recycling process by the National Cup Recycling Scheme The National Cup Recycling manager, Hannah Osborne states: 'Collaboration is key to tackling waste, and this pilot demonstrates how brands, technology, and communities can come together to create practical solutions that drive real environmental impact. We're excited about the potential to expand this initiative, making it even easier for people across the UK to recycle their cups while earning rewards through Bower.' Article continues below
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Google Stock Defies Tech Slump: Continued Growth Ahead?
BERLIN, GERMANY - APRIL 25: The Google app is displayed on a smartphone on April 25, 2025 in Berlin, ... More Germany. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images) Google (Alphabet) recently released impressive Q1 results that exceeded market expectations, with revenues of $90.23 billion and earnings of $2.81 per share compared to consensus estimates of $89.12 billion and $2.01 respectively. The 12% year-over-year revenue growth was primarily driven by the cloud business, which saw a robust 28% increase to $12.3 billion. Google Search revenue grew 10% to $50.7 billion, while YouTube ad revenue also increased 10% to $8.9 billion. The company demonstrated strong operational efficiency with its operating margin expanding 200 basis points year-over-year to 34%. This margin expansion, combined with higher revenue, contributed to a remarkable 49% rise in earnings per share. The market responded positively to these results, with GOOG stock surging 5% in after-hours trading following the announcement. Still, if you are looking for an upside with a smoother ride than an individual stock, consider the High-Quality portfolio, which has outperformed the S&P, and clocked >91% returns since inception. Google continues to make significant strides in its autonomous driving technology. Waymo, its self-driving car unit, now provides more than 250,000 fully autonomous paid rides weekly across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin regions, up from 200,000 in February before expanding to additional locations. Despite the strong quarterly performance, GOOG stock has mirrored the broader NASDAQ's struggles in 2025, with returns of approximately -15% since the beginning of the year (as of April 24) compared to NASDAQ's 11% decline. These challenges stem from ongoing tariff concerns, trade war tensions, and geopolitical uncertainties affecting the tech sector as a whole. The company remains committed to its AI strategy, planning to spend $75 billion in capital expenditures this year, while also authorizing a $70 billion share buyback plan. Investors remain optimistic about the potential AI-driven growth for Google's advertising business, which could drive future revenue expansion. At post-earnings levels around $169, Google trades at 5.9x trailing revenues and 19x trailing earnings, both slightly below the stock's five-year average P/S ratio of 6.2x and P/E ratio of 24x. Given Alphabet's promising earnings growth potential from its AI initiatives and the ongoing momentum in its cloud division, we believe that the company warrants a premium valuation multiple compared to its historical average. Also, Google has shown mixed resilience during recent market downturns. During the 2022 inflation shock, GOOG stock fell 44.6% compared to the S&P 500's 25.4% decline. In contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, GOOG fell 30.8% versus the S&P 500's 33.9% decline, demonstrating slightly better performance than the broader market. Several risk factors could impact Google's performance moving forward: Google presents a compelling investment case despite current market challenges. The company's Q1 results demonstrate continued execution excellence, particularly in high-growth segments like cloud computing and AI integration. While the stock has faced pressure this year alongside the broader tech sector, its current valuation appears attractive relative to historical averages and future growth potential. The commitment to significant capital expenditures signals confidence in long-term growth initiatives, particularly in AI. Though risks exist regarding datacenter costs and potential advertising sensitivity to economic conditions, Google appears better positioned than many tech peers to weather tariff and trade tensions. For investors seeking exposure to AI-driven growth and cloud computing expansion, Google's current valuation presents an attractive entry point, especially for those with a long-term investment horizon. Learn more about Trefis RV strategy that has outperformed its all-cap stocks benchmark (combination of all 3, the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000), to produce strong returns for investors.
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Crypto Ball Is In Congress' Court
BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 25: In this photo illustration model coins of the cryptocurrencies ... More ethereum, ripple, litecoin and bitcoin lie on a circuit board of a computer. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images) In May 2024, prospects for the United States becoming a global innovation center for digital assets and other promising blockchain technologies were gloomy. Regulatory uncertainty and general hostility from Washington presented high hurdles to industry growth. But the perseverance of determined entrepreneurs, changes in U.S. political leadership, and a growing appreciation for the economic importance and broader application of these cost-saving technologies have changed perceptions and raised expectations that the United States will become 'the crypto capital of the world.' The ball is now in Congress' court. Throughout the previous four years, firms and investors seeking to develop markets for cryptocurrency in the United States were stymied by an antagonistic Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, who regarded the industry as 'rife with hucksters, fraudsters, scam artists.' Rather than offer a clear regulatory framework within which crypto firms could operate, Chairman Gary Gensler opted for what became known as 'regulation by enforcement' – the pursuit of legal enforcement to build precedent rather than the promulgation of broad rules. Gensler insisted on applying existing securities laws to crypto companies and individuals, rather than developing new regulations to account for the unique features of digital assets. Tokens classified as securities would require issuing firms to register with the SEC and provide certain disclosures to investors, but many argued that crypto tokens are more like commodities than securities. The issue came to a head in the SEC's lawsuit against the payments company Ripple, where Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York ruled that the XRP token itself, which Ripple has sold, is not a security when traded on public exchanges and does not 'embody' any investment contract. Gensler appealed the ruling, while resorting to other spiteful actions intended to frustrate the access of crypto firms to mainstream banking, such as publishing Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 (SAB21) – an SEC guidance document making it difficult for financial institutions to provide custodial services for cryptocurrencies. It was a bridge too far. Gensler was rebuked by the Government Accountability Office for skirting the statutory rule-making process with SAB21 by failing to notify Congress, as required under the Congressional Review Act. Seeking change through the political process, Ripple and Coinbase, the leading U.S. crypto exchange, pooled resources for the 2024 election campaigns through the Fairshake PAC, raising millions of dollars for pro-crypto candidates. Those donations seem to have gotten the attention of Congress. The Senate promptly overturned SAB21 with the support of 12 Democrats, including then Senate leader Chuck Schumer. And, around the same time, with the support of 70 Democrats including Nancy Pelosi, the House passed by a vote of 279-136 the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, known as FIT21, which removed any doubt that digital assets are commodities to be regulated by Commodities Futures Trading Commission and not securities to be regulated by the SEC. Today, Gensler is gone. There is a greater appreciation than ever in Congress for the importance of these technologies to the economy's future. And the White House has been working with Capitol Hill, the various regulatory agencies, and industry experts to create a sensible regulatory environment, grounded in new, clearly written legislation, that simultaneously protects the public and permits enterprising firms to flourish. Many great strides toward those aims already have been taken in the first quarter of 2025. On January 20, President Trump established the role of an 'AI and Crypto Czar' to ensure the White House has an open channel and a dedicated point person for discussion and collaboration with Congress. Trump issued an executive order establishing a working group dedicated to 'Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technologies,' under the direction of the new Crypto Czar David Sacks, which is tasked with producing a comprehensive report within 180 days that includes legislative and regulatory proposals that would promote U.S. leadership in digital assets and financial technology while protecting economic liberty. Meanwhile, the SEC has been busy working to reform its own bad habits. On January 23, the SEC officially rescinded SAB121 and then subsequently dropped its numerous lawsuits against Ripple, Coinbase, Kraken and other firms. More recently, the SEC revoked the authority of its Enforcement Director to issue enforcement directives without commissioners giving their approval first. The SEC also established a 'Crypto Task Force' dedicated to developing a comprehensive, clear regulatory framework, including rules and guidance, for crypto assets. The task force is headed by Republican SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who noted refreshingly: "Spring signifies new beginnings and we have a new beginning here, a restart of the commission's approach to crypto regulation." One major consideration at the first public meeting of the task force was the question of whether crypto tokens require a new, separate regulatory framework, different from how the SEC oversees securities. Among the concerns of Commissioner Pearce is that legislation must clearly delineate regulatory authority to a single agency lest overlapping rules with multiple agencies render costs and paperwork too burdensome for business. She also seems to favor the permitting of 'regulatory sandboxes,' where entrepreneurs can test new products, services, and business models under a regulator's oversight, allowing for innovation without the full weight of existing regulations, while regulators can gain insights before rendering broad regulatory decisions. The task force is interested in making sure firms have the room to run and that market competition can reveal winners and losers. But it is also concerned about protecting retail investors from bad actors in the emerging technologies field. Among its first actions, the SEC promptly created the Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU) to combat cyber related misconduct. CETU will comprise specialists from across multiple SEC offices. The White House, last month, issued an executive order to establish a strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies and held a summit for industry leaders at the White House. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who attended the summit, said he was extremely pleased to see the administration's support for regulatory clarity, as well as a Bitcoin reserve and crypto stockpile. XRP is one of the four other cryptocurrencies Trump had suggested may be added to digital asset stockpile. Other summiteers praised the Trump administration for welcoming collaboration with industry after years in which some felt they were under attack over security and consumer protection issues. Attendees said they were optimistic about working with an administration that views crypto as a mainstream asset class and expressed hope for a straightforward regulatory process. The most recent good news concerning the SEC is that Paul Atkins, Trump's nominee to chair the agency, was confirmed by the Senate on April 9. While the SEC—and other regulatory agencies—should provide guidance and expertise to lawmakers, they should refrain from drafting any new crypto regulations until after Congress passes legislation. With most of the crucial pieces in place in the executive branch, all eyes should be turning toward the Congress, which is tasked with crafting new, holistic, clarifying, durable legislation that will provide realistic and reasonable parameters for operating in this space. This includes identifying the activities that require oversight, which regulator has that authority, and which actions run afoul of the law. It just so happens that both the House of Representatives and the Senate are considering their own promising bills that establish comprehensive regulatory frameworks for payment stablecoins. At the beginning of April, the House Financial Services Committee advanced the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act out of committee and is now eligible for a full floor vote. Similarly, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act, called the GENIUS Act, took a major step forward when it passed the Senate Banking Committee in early March. According to several of the 25 U.S. federal lawmakers who participated in the Digital Chamber's Block Chain event on March 26, the aim on Capitol Hill is to have reconciliation of the bills during the summer and a vote on the final bill before the August recess. The devil, as always, will be in the details. But, in this post-Chevron policy environment, Congress can no longer defer its legislative responsibility to federal agencies by punting on the details and being deliberately vague in the legislative language. It must take responsibility for debating the merits and writing clear, unambiguous laws so that changes in presidential administrations do not invite significant, disruptive changes in the regulatory regimes. It is now up to Congress to create a predictable environment that enables digital assets and other cutting-edge blockchain technologies to flourish, while protecting retail investors and the public by writing sensible laws that will establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for these industries.
Forbes
31-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Crypto And Banking: A New Era Of Financial Services Begins
A hand puts a Bitcoin in a jar, filled with dollar bills (Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via ... More Getty Images) Before the introduction of Bitcoin, around 2008, Wells Fargo included the phrase 'Banking is necessary. Banks are not' in its 2004 annual report. The adoption of digital assets by traditional banks has been slow, primarily because of regulatory obstacles and a lack of legislative guidance that would help ease fears and reduce risks. Both the regulatory landscape and the chance of meaningful legislation on digital assets appear to be on the horizon. Hopefully, this is the start of a new era for traditional banks and other financial services companies being able to participate in a more meaningful way in blockchain technology solutions and digital asset offerings. The regulatory burdens by the IRS and other regulatory agencies was one of the largest barriers to adoption and use of digital assets by financial institutions in the United States. For example, the Internal Revenue Service issued regulations at the end of 2024 that were considered a potentially fatal blow to the growing Decentralized Finance industry. I previously reported on both those regulations and subsequent challenges to those regulations. Those regulations are now awaiting the final blow by the President after the Senate joined the House in voting to pass a motion that would overturn those rules. On March 7, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued Interpretive Letter 1183, which rescinds the previous Interpretive Letter 1179 and reaffirms the permissibility of certain crypto-asset activities for national banks and federal savings associations. The letter specifically addresses the continuation of activities such as crypto-asset custody services, holding dollar deposits as reserves backing stablecoins, and acting as nodes on distributed ledgers to verify customer payments. The OCC emphasizes that these activities must be conducted in a safe, sound, and fair manner, in compliance with applicable laws, and aligned with sound risk management practices. This move aims to reduce regulatory burden, encourage responsible innovation, and ensure consistent treatment of bank activities regardless of the underlying technology. These national statements, hopefully, will help comfort levels in the financial services industry increase and help spur further investigation by those companies. On March 28, 2025, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued new guidance clarifying the process for FDIC-supervised financial institutions to engage in cryptocurrency-related activities. This update rescinds the prior notification requirement for crypto-related activities established by an April 7, 2022 letter (i.e. FIL-16-2022.) The new guidance allows these institutions to participate in permissible crypto-related activities without prior approval, provided they manage the associated risks effectively. The guidance covers a range of activities, including acting as crypto-asset custodians, maintaining stablecoin reserves, issuing digital assets, and participating in blockchain-based settlement systems. The FDIC also noted that it will continue to collaborate with the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets and other banking agencies to provide further clarity and guidance on banks' involvement in cryptocurrency activities. Therefore, further crypto-friendly guidance for financial institutions appears to be on its way. Also, this is another example the financial services industry can point to as a reason to explore digital asset possibilities. Incorporating a unique asset like cryptocurrencies, and other variations of digital assets, into the traditional finance model can be a difficult process, but not impossible. What would make that process a much more attractive option is clear legislation from Congress on how to treat these new assets. There are currently three bills to watch as a new Congress attempts to provide much needed guidance in this area. The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act of 2025 passed the Senate Banking Committee and now moves to the full Senate for consideration. This bill aims to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, emphasizing both federal and state oversight. The Act defines payment stablecoins and sets stringent requirements for issuers, including maintaining reserves, public disclosure of redemption policies, and monthly certifications by registered public accounting firms. It also allows for state-level regulatory regimes, provided they are substantially similar to the federal framework, and includes provisions for transitioning to federal regulation for issuers with significant market capitalization. The GENIUS Act also mandates studies on stablecoins that are backed by another digital asset (i.e. endogenously collateralized stablecoins) and interoperability standards to ensure the stability and security of the financial system. The Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability Act of 2025 was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 26, 2025. This bill aims to regulate the issuance and management of payment stablecoins to ensure transparency and accountability within the digital asset economy. Key provisions include defining what constitutes a payment stablecoin, establishing requirements for issuers to maintain reserves on a 1:1 basis (i.e. equivalent reserve assets for every stablecoin issued), and mandating monthly disclosures and certifications by registered public accounting firms. The Act also sets forth penalties for non-compliance and outlines the roles of federal and state regulators in overseeing stablecoin issuers. Additionally, the bill prohibits the issuance of endogenously collateralized stablecoins for a two-year period and mandates a study on non-payment stablecoins. The Securities Clarity Act of 2025 was reintroduced this bill in the House of Representatives in an effort to amend existing securities laws to exclude investment contract assets from the definition of a security. This bill specifically targets digital assets, defining an "investment contract asset" as a fungible digital representation of value that can be transferred without reliance on an intermediary and is recorded on a cryptographically secured public distributed ledger. The Act aims to provide regulatory clarity by ensuring that these digital assets are not classified as securities, thereby exempting them from the regulatory requirements that apply to traditional securities. This legislative move is intended to foster innovation and reduce regulatory burdens on digital asset issuers and investors in digital assets. This is an exciting time for banking and financial services, full of opportunity but also risk that must be considered and evaluated. For those working in the industry, they should cautiously move forward with the understanding that there will be questions, learning-curves, and delays in adapting an old system to new technology and new assets. However, the demand for digital asset versions of tradition financial services such as payment processing, loans, investments, and other products only continues to grow and provides opportunities for growth and improvement of the industry as a whole.
