BankSocial CEO says regulatory clarity pushed institutions into crypto payments

Jackson Hinkle

Thu, February 26, 2026 at 6:01 AM GMT+9 2 min read

In this article:

BSL10102-USD

-3.84%

For years, institutional interest in crypto was mostly theoretical. Banks, payment companies, and financial institutions tracked the space, met with builders, and studied use cases without committing capital or resources. That posture shifted in 2025.

In an nterview with TheStreet Roundtable discussion, John Wingate, founder and CEO of BankSocial, said the turning point was not market cycles or retail speculation, but regulation.

Early conversations in 2022, he said, were largely exploratory. “That was more about a high level cursory look at what’s coming,” Wingate said.

Related: XRP activity surges as U.S. state proposes adding to reserve

2025 brought regulatory clarity to crypto

By mid to late 2025, those conversations became operational. Wingate pointed to the progression of stablecoin legislation, including the GENIUS Act and subsequent clarity bills, as the catalyst.

“What changed in late 2025 was, these institutions don’t move like crypto natives,” he said. “They move at a much more regulated pace."

Once a framework began to take shape, institutions concluded they could no longer sit on the sidelines.

That shift also coincided with economic pressure inside traditional finance. As interest margins and interchange fees tightened, institutions began searching for ways to reduce costs while staying competitive.

What institutions are looking for in crypto

Rather than focusing on meme coins or speculative trading, Wingate said institutions are interested in real products with clear revenue paths. Stablecoins and tokenization brought early visibility, but payments infrastructure is now taking center stage.

“Merchant services are one of the more exciting places,” Wingate said. He described growing interest in omni channel commerce, spanning e commerce, in store point of sale, and QR or tap based payments.

Much of the infrastructure already exists. The challenge is integrating crypto native payment standards into systems banks already use.

Wingate pointed to emerging payment presentment standards as a bridge.

“If a token can connect into a DEX and convert into a common interchange value, you can start doing really amazing things,” he said.

More news:

**Major gold giant shrinks as Trump-linked firm surges**

**Major bank boosts MicroStrategy stake despite record Wall Street short pressure**

**US court's major blow to Elon Musk after he accuses OpenAI**

That flexibility allows merchants to accept a wide range of assets without changing their workflows.

Institutions are also exploring agent driven payments, where software handles transactions automatically.

Story Continues  

“If you’re visiting a place all the time, you can geo locate, identify a payment request, and pay discretionarily with your agent,” Wingate said. “You never have to reach into your pocket.”

While some applications remain experimental, Wingate said momentum is real. Over the next 18 months, he expects payments and merchant services to be the primary focus for institutional stablecoin adoption.

Related: Major gold holder invests in Peter Thiel-backed company

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Feb 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Innovation section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Terms and Privacy Policy

Privacy Dashboard

More Info