As the US Clarity Act stalls, Trump has invited FIFA President Gianni Infantino to Mar‑a-Lago to discuss his own crypto ambitions.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has revealed the football governing body is exploring the idea of developing a “FIFA Token” and “FIFA Coin”.
Infantino reportedly discussed the concept while speaking on stage at the World Liberty Forum earlier this week, where he described the idea as a “real potential global currency serving the 6 billion football fans worldwide.”
This isn’t the first time Infantino has brought up the idea of launching a cryptocurrency tied to the governing body; he first flirted with the idea in March 2025 while at the White House Crypto Summit.
When he first promoted the idea, he suggested it should be developed in the US, inviting partners to collaborate, and targeting what he described as five billion football fans. The only apparent change this time was an increase in that projected audience, adding an extra billion to the total.
“If there is anyone here who is interested to team up with FIFA, here we are, together with the United States of America, and we will conquer the world of soccer with the FIFA coin,” he said at the time.
Why FIFA Coin feels different this time
Despite Infantino raising the idea again 12 months later – and still offering no real detail about what the coin would be used for, who would build it or when it might launch – this time it feels as though something has changed.
A potential reason for this feeling is FIFA’s relationship with Trump, evidenced by Infantino jokingly wearing a Make America Great Again hat on stage at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. The pair have grown close over the past few months leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The US will benefit significantly from hosting, with the President eyeing a $50bn economic boost from the tournament. Trump has also benefited personally, as in July 2025, FIFA opened an office in Trump Tower in Manhattan, and he was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
Another reason this feels different from the last mention of FIFA Coin is because of where it took place, possibly a benefit of FIFA’s links with Trump.
In March 2025, Infantino spoke at the White House Crypto Summit, which is a formal, government-hosted event in which he spoke in front of policymakers, regulators and industry leaders.
In February 2026, he spoke at the World Liberty Forum at Mar‑a‑Lago, an event hosted at Trump’s private club and organised by World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. This speech was in front of crypto investors, influencers and political allies.
A third factor is the US’ progress on cryptocurrency over the past year. After passing the GENIUS Act, the country’s first major federal stablecoin law, the US is now on the verge of another significant step with the CLARITY Act.
The Senate Agriculture Committee passed its draft on 29 January 2026, but the bill remains stalled as the Senate Banking Committee debates whether stablecoins should be allowed to earn interest.
That pain point has intensified in recent weeks, with House meetings in February bringing together banks and crypto firms but failed to produce an agreement.
Banks, including Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Bank of America, arrived with a document of “prohibition principles” calling for a complete ban on stablecoin interest, arguing it could trigger a flight of deposits from traditional institutions.
Crypto firms argued the opposite, stating interest as a consumer benefit and warning that a ban would be anti‑competitive.
Political tensions have added another layer, with Democrats raising concerns about Trump’s personal crypto holdings, which reportedly sit around $867m, including $336m from his own memecoin.
