A U.S. crypto market structure bill will be delayed by several weeks in the Senate, pushing consideration into late February or March, according to lawmakers familiar with the matter.
The Senate Banking Committee has postponed work on the legislation, known as the CLARITY Act, after canceling a planned markup session, leaving unresolved the absence of a federal framework to define regulatory authority over the fast-growing cryptocurrency sector.
Housing Priorities And Political Disputes
Senators are prioritizing a home affordability initiative supported by President Donald Trump above the cryptocurrency measure. Housing proposals are currently being drafted and discussed by committee members and staff.
At the same time, the CLARITY Act talks are deadlocked due to over 100 proposed revisions. Agreement is made more difficult by some revisions that affect other regulations, such as the GENIUS Act on stablecoins.
The measure aims to divide power between the SEC and CFTC and specify whether tokens qualify as securities or commodities. Major exchanges and developers would still have to function under a hodgepodge of outdated regulations and enforcement actions in the absence of that framework.
Industry leaders are split on the current draft. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong previously withdrew support, warning that some language could restrict tokenized stocks and decentralized finance. This move helped trigger the latest delay.
Next Steps For U.S. Crypto Rules
The Senate Agriculture Committee is working on its own version of a market structure bill and may still move ahead later this month. Any final law will likely need the support of both committees and bipartisan support.
Trump has said he expects to sign a crypto market structure bill “very soon,” and pressure is growing as the 2026 midterm elections draw closer. If Congress cannot reach a deal this year, the issue may slip to the next Congress in 2027.
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