Crypto Regulation and Monetary Sovereignty Dominate 2026 Davos Debate as Trump Pushes CLARITY Act

Cryptocurrencies took center stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 23, 2026, as central bank governors warned that digital assets could threaten monetary sovereignty while the industry sheds its "illegal currency" label, BlockBeats reports. U.S. President Donald Trump positioned crypto regulation as part of a geopolitical strategy, calling for rapid passage of the CLARITY Act market structure bill to establish the United States as a global crypto hub, while the Banque de France governor and other European central bank officials argued that privately issued money may endanger monetary sovereignty and advocated for tighter oversight and central bank digital currency development. Coinbase's CEO and the Banque de France diverged on "monetary sovereignty," with Coinbase highlighting Bitcoin's decentralization relative to traditional monetary systems and French officials stressing the importance of monetary control and sovereign authority. Stablecoins, tokenized assets and crypto infrastructure are increasingly embedded in the global financial agenda at Davos, though regulatory approaches remain unsettled and consensus is still emerging.