Financial analysts have described the GENIUS Act as a watershed moment in the evolution of digital finance. Passed in 2025, the legislation establishes the first comprehensive federal framework for payment stablecoins in the United States, bringing regulatory clarity to a rapidly growing segment of the digital asset ecosystem.
Developed in collaboration with the Scotiabank Digital Banking Lab, this infographic maps how the Act structures stablecoin regulation through a pillar-based framework. Rather than simply applying traditional banking rules or treating stablecoins as an entirely new asset class, the GENIUS Act introduces a tailored regulatory architecture designed to integrate payment stablecoins into the financial system while safeguarding innovation, consumer protection, and financial stability.
The infographic breaks the legislation into five interlocking pillars: defining what qualifies as a payment stablecoin, establishing who may issue them, setting prudential and operational requirements, outlining supervision and enforcement mechanisms, and introducing resolution and system-level safeguards. Together, these pillars illustrate how the GENIUS Act moves stablecoins from a fragmented regulatory landscape toward a defined role within the U.S. payments infrastructure.
Download the infographic to explore how the GENIUS Act reshapes the regulatory architecture for stablecoins and anchors them within the evolving digital payments ecosystem.
Infographic detailed citation list
Citation: Kokkirala, S., and Gandhi, C. (2026). GENIUS Act: A Comprehensive Framework to Institutionalize Payment Stablecoins. (H. Pun, R. Mostafa, and Z. Agoston, Eds). Lawrence National Centre Infographic Series 26302. Ivey Business School, Canada.
Generous support from the Power Corporation of Canada, Jack Lawrence Family and the Mitchell and Kathryn Baran Family Foundation, and funding by Ivey's Scotiabank Digital Banking Lab is gratefully acknowledged.