ICBA is launching a new campaign focused on a clear contrast: community banking vs. crypto and what’s at stake for the people and communities our members serve.
Their message is built around four key ideas that drive home the contrast:
1. Community banks drive local economies
They are the primary source of lending for small businesses and rural communities. Deposits stay local and are reinvested back into the community.
2. Community banks are built on trust and safety
They operate within a proven regulatory framework, backed by long-standing protections. Crypto simply doesn’t offer the same safeguards.
3. This debate isn’t being driven by consumers
The push around crypto policy is largely coming from industry and Washington, not from the everyday needs of Americans, who prioritize local economies and trusted financial institutions.
4. The stakes are high
If policy moves too far in the wrong direction, it could pull deposits out of community banks and reduce lending in the communities that depend on it.
We encourage all South Dakota community banks to lean into this now because the policy conversation is accelerating. It’s important that the community banking voice is direct, consistent, and present in that debate.
You’ll start to see this campaign across paid media, digital, and communications channels including at mainstreetovercrypto.com.
The more banks that are aware and engaged, the stronger our collective impact will be. Please help us spread the word!