Andy Mukherjee, Columnist

Stablecoins’ Free Toasters Can Be Very Costly

Digital-asset exchanges and brokers want to entice people to make everyday payments with stablecoins.

Photo: Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Stablecoins aren’t allowed to pay interest, but can’t an early adopter or a loyal user at least expect a free toaster as a gift?

The legality of consumer rewards, hotly contested by crypto bros and Wall Street, has opened a new battlefront in their rivalry. Superficially, it appears to be a somewhat comical scuffle. Scratch the surface, however, and it’s a serious contest with global ramifications.