Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has taken aim at the GENIUS Act—which provides a legislative framework for stablecoins in the U.S.—alleging that it contains a “loophole” for introducing central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
“I support crypto but I will never support giving the government the ability to turn off your ability to have full control of your money and to buy and sell,” Greene tweeted.
A CBDC is a digital currency issued, regulated, and backed by a country’s central bank, comparable to fiat currency. Economies around the world are trialing CBDCs, including the European Union. But they have proved controversial in the US as Republican lawmakers have claimed they could enable increased government control and surveillance.
Greene explained that she voted against the GENIUS Act in July because “it contained a back door to a central bank digital currency (CBDC).”
The representative also criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson, claiming he had “promised conservatives” that he would include the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) but ultimately failed to do so, keeping what she described as a loophole open.
“As usual, he didn’t keep his promise,” she added.
The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act was passed by the US House of Representatives in July 2025 but has yet to be approved by the Senate. The act, if passed, would prevent the Federal Reserve from creating a CBDC or a “substantially similar product” for public use. The bill invokes numerous anti-surveillance concerns and financial-privacy arguments.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the annual legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President authorizing the Department of Defense’s budget, spending, and policy for the year ahead.
Greene was one of just 12 Republican lawmakers who voted against the GENIUS Act in July, versus over 200 in favor. She would later compare CBDCs to the “Mark of the Beast”, quoting a passage from the Bible’s Book of Revelation. Greene has invested $60,000 in BlackRock’s IBIT Bitcoin ETF fund this year, as per House disclosures.
Greene’s claims, explained
Braden Perry, a litigation, regulatory, and government-investigations attorney with Kennyhertz Perry LLC, says that Greene’s claims about a CBDC loophole do not “have a real legal basis,” adding that her statement is “more political commentary than legal analysis.”
“A CBDC is a digital dollar issued by the Federal Reserve, while the GENIUS Act regulates private stablecoins and keeps them distinct from government money,” he told Decrypt.
Perry noted that the GENIUS Act explicitly says that stablecoins “are not securities, not bank deposits, and not central bank money.”
“Some people worry that regulated stablecoins may perform functions similar to a digital dollar, but that does not make them a back-door CBDC,” he added.
The Trump Administration vs CBDCs
Greene is one of a number of Republican lawmakers who have spoken out against CBDCs. As far back as 2022, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), claimed they could be used as a “financial surveillance tool by the federal government,” drawing parallels with the policies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Daily Debrief Newsletter
Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
