Bits + Bips

Why Agents Will Ditch Stablecoins That Don't Pay Yield

May 20, 2026·7 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

If the risk is the same, why would any rational agent choose a stablecoin that pays nothing over a money market fund that does?  In this clip, Chris Perkins puts the question directly to Circle’s Gordon Liao, who walks through USYC — Circle's yield-bearing instrument — and the seamless toggle between it and USDC.  Austin Campbell frames the winners as "transformers": platforms that can move fluidly between yield and liquidity states. The answer matters for every wallet, exchange, and agentic commerce stack being built right now.   Hosts: Austin Campbell @austincampbell | Ram Ahluwalia @ramahluwalia | Chris Perkins @perkinscr97 Guest: Gordon Liao, Chief Economist and Head of Research at Circle   This clip is from a longer conversation on USDC, the CLARITY Act, and rising bond yields. Full episode here: https://youtube.com/live/bYgoVvXME3Q?feature=share   We go live every Monday at 4.30 ET — subscribe to catch it live.   Follow us on our new channels! Bits + Bips is moving to its own feeds. Subscribe now at unchainedcrypto.com/bitsandbips so you don't miss the launch.   Coinbase: Get 20% off the first year of your Coinbase One annual plan at coinbase.com/unchained.

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