Nikolas Sargeant
The US Senate Banking Committee has postponed work on landmark cryptocurrency market structure legislation for several additional weeks, with consideration now expected in late February or March as the panel shifts focus to housing affordability initiatives following President Donald Trump's recent policy priorities.
Unnamed sources told Bloomberg the crypto market structure legislation faces a delay of several weeks. Instead of advancing the digital asset bill, the committee will pivot to housing legislation following Trump's emphasis on affordability as a policy priority.
President Trump wrote he is taking "immediate steps" on housing legislation, characterizing it as critical to the "American Dream." The shift in committee focus pushes cryptocurrency regulation further down the legislative calendar despite industry calls for urgent passage.
The committee's deprioritization of the cryptocurrency bill has created uncertainty within the digital asset community. Patrick Witt, White House Executive Director of the President's Crypto Council, called for immediate implementation of legislation, stating it is unrealistic to expect a multi-trillion-dollar industry to operate without a comprehensive regulatory framework.
Work on the crypto bill—designated the CLARITY Act—stalled following its planned markup after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong publicly withdrew support for the draft legislation. Armstrong identified several concerns with the draft, including provisions he characterized as a de facto ban on tokenized equities, restrictions affecting decentralized finance, and limitations on stablecoin rewards.
The Bloomberg report noted the Banking Committee's delay may not affect the Senate Agriculture Committee's parallel efforts on cryptocurrency legislation. The Agriculture Committee released its own version of market structure legislation, though industry insiders express concern the bill may lack Democratic support necessary for passage.
"While differences remain on fundamental policy issues, this bill builds on our bipartisan discussion draft while incorporating input from stakeholders and represents months of work," Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman stated. Boozman postponed the committee's markup to late January, providing additional time for negotiation and amendment consideration.
The Agriculture Committee's cryptocurrency bill requires support from both Democrats and the Banking Committee's parallel legislation before advancing through the legislative process. The dual-track approach creates complexity as differences between the two versions must be reconciled before final passage.
President Trump confirmed the crypto market structure bill will be signed "very soon" despite the committee delays. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2026, he stated his administration is working to ensure America remains the cryptocurrency capital of the world.
"Last year, I signed a landmark GENIUS Act into law, now Congress is working very hard on crypto market structure legislation… Bitcoin, all of them," Trump said at Davos. "I hope to sign very soon, unlocking new pathways for Americans to reach financial freedom."
The GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, established a federal framework for payment stablecoins, representing the first major cryptocurrency legislation enacted during Trump's administration. The market structure bill would build on that foundation by clarifying regulatory jurisdiction over spot cryptocurrency markets and defining when digital assets qualify as securities or commodities.
