SoFi just launched a bank deposit token that pays 4.4% and swaps into its stablecoin 24/7.

And look at the timing.

They announced one day after the OCC finalised the GENIUS Act rules.

SoFi Earn (SOFIE) is a $1 token held as a deposit at SoFi Bank. (Kinda love that name)

It's FDIC insured up to $250k, variable 4.40% APY, no minimum balance.

And rolling out to SoFi Crypto members through November.

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This is not like a Stablecoin in utility.

You can't send SOFIE to another person, an exchange or an external wallet.

To move it, you convert 1:1 into SoFiUSD, the bank's stablecoin. The yield stops and the FDIC cover drops at that moment.

GENIUS bars a stablecoin issuer from paying you anything for holding its coin. A bank deposit has no such ban.

It anything it's competing with tokenized money market funds...

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The economics work because SoFi is a lender. It funds a 4.4% deposit with double digit yields on personal loans.

A stablecoin issuer earns T-bill yield on reserves and can't pass it on (or has to get very creative in how they do)

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The target is idle cash at Coinbase and in tokenized money market funds, and vs those it's competitive on rate.

AND it can instantly swap either back into fiat or SoFi USD and go anywhere Stablecoins can.

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But SoFi's own savings account pays 3.3% standard. Isn't that interesting?

Clearly this 4.4% is an introductory rate that they're not expecting much early use on.

And that 3.3% is a cost of funding for a much bigger business.

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So here's a bull case for banks.

Launch tokenized deposits. Compete with Stablecoins on yield. If customers absolutely want stablecoins you should be their on / off ramp...

You hold SOFIE to earn and swap to SoFiUSD to spend.

Why couldn't that work everywhere else?