Fed’s Michelle Bowman Calls for Proactive Embrace of Crypto Innovation

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman used her appearance in Wyoming to push for a change in approach to digital assets. At the Blockchain Symposium, she told regulators that caution has run its course. Supervision, she said, must adjust to the reality of new technology. She made one point clear. Stablecoins now sit at the centre of the debate, and the GENIUS Act has written them into law.

Shifting Ground in Finance

Bowman’s call underscored how digital money is no longer a side issue but part of the financial core. As oversight adapts, the same momentum is beginning to ripple into areas of online entertainment where money and technology meet. Digital assets are finding footholds across industries, from supply chains that track goods in real time to cross-border payments that settle without delay. Music and art markets have also begun to adopt blockchain as a foundation for ownership and exchange. 

The same shift is now reshaping online play, where crypto gambling has started to emerge as part of the landscape. Some analysts note that digital tokens with defined utility, active development teams, and community engagement are more likely to attract attention. Some of the projects gaining attention also integrate features such as staking rewards, new approaches to digital ownership, or links to fast-growing gaming and DeFi markets. These elements, when aligned with transparent goals and real user demand, are presented as the main factors that could drive rapid growth, the same traits found in many of the next 100x crypto coins that could surge in 2025.

The shift Bowman described echoes broader changes already taking root across digital markets. What was once speculative is now showing signs of structure, from tokens built around a clear purpose to projects tied to fast-moving sectors like gaming and finance. These developments set the stage for oversight that adapts without stifling momentum, the same balance Bowman pressed for in Wyoming.

Bowman Signals End of Hesitation

Michelle Bowman did not mince words in Wyoming. Washington’s long habit of caution, she warned, carries a price. Banking rules cannot stay locked in decades-old frames. Stablecoins, once brushed aside, are now in use. They move money quickly. They cut the delay.

Her tone was plain, almost blunt. Oversight should scale to the institution, she said. A regional lender is not a global bank. One rulebook for both makes little sense. Push too hard and ideas disappear underground. Loosen the grip, and oversight can still hold while allowing new ones to emerge.

Stablecoins Under a New Lens

The GENIUS Act ended the guesswork. With standards on reserves and disclosure, stablecoins are now part of the rulebook. Bowman pointed to this shift as proof that digital assets are not drifting at the edges anymore. They are sliding toward the heart of payment systems.

She stressed the practical benefits. Faster settlement, smoother transfers across borders, transactions measured in seconds instead of days. These are not vague claims, she said, but results the new law makes possible. For Bowman, stablecoins are not an experiment in convenience. They are an answer to inefficiency that has plagued finance for decades.

Her remarks landed as the Fed itself signals a softer stance. Earlier this year, the central bank dropped reputational risk from its examinations after pressure from the White House. That step showed a willingness to strip back rules that had grown too heavy. Bowman used it as an example: regulators can ease their grip without losing control.

Wyoming as the Backdrop

The symposium setting sharpened the message. Wyoming, long a testing ground for blockchain policy, gave her words a symbolic edge. Wide skies, sparse air, and an audience of bankers and developers added atmosphere to what might otherwise have been another policy speech. She did not push theatrics. She did not need to. The contrast with past Fed language spoke for itself.

Those in the hall leaned into the shift. For years, industry figures have pressed for clarity, only to meet silence or suspicion. Hearing a senior Fed official speak in terms of opportunity, rather than only risk, signalled something new. Not a revolution, but the beginning of a different conversation.

Next Phase of Crypto Oversight

Bowman’s address carried the atmosphere of a threshold moment. The GENIUS Act provides the structure, and the Fed now faces decisions on how far and how fast to move. Stablecoins have become the focal point, but the implications stretch further. From payments to broader financial services, the choices regulators make now will shape the next stage of adoption.

For Bowman, the challenge is clear. Regulators must find the line between prudence and progress. She urged regulators to accept new methods without losing sight of stability. That balance, she said, is the task ahead.