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The Senate Banking Committee has postponed consideration of comprehensive crypto market structure legislation until late February or March, marking another setback for an industry seeking federal regulatory clarity.
The delay, confirmed by congressional aides to Bloomberg, comes as Senate leaders shift focus to housing affordability measures ahead of this year’s elections, pushing digital asset policy down the legislative priority list.
Lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee have postponed efforts to advance the much-anticipated crypto market structure bill, a cornerstone of Washington’s bid to codify how digital assets are regulated at the federal level.
Sources told Bloomberg the measure will likely not get a markup in the pivotal committee process, where amendments are offered and text is refined, until late February or March, a delay attributed to a reprioritization of housing policy in Congress.
The decision comes as Senate leaders turn their attention to housing affordability legislation ahead of this year’s congressional elections, drawing focus away from digital asset policy.
This committee will pivot toward urgent housing measures.
An aide familiar with the agenda told reporters, showing the tension between competing legislative priorities.
The postponement marks yet another setback in a longer struggle to secure clear federal rules that define regulatory jurisdiction, trading standards, and market conduct for digital assets.
The market structure bill, often referred to in industry circles as the CLARITY Act, has been seen by crypto advocates as foundational to rationalizing decades of enforcement-driven policy.
Many hoped it would finally designate regulatory roles between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) while providing guardrails for token classification and trading venues.
Yet progress has been uneven. Industry momentum was complicated when Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong publicly withdrew support for the draft legislation, citing concerns that, as written, the bill could effectively ban tokenized equities and unduly limit certain decentralized finance (DeFi) activities.
“Expecting a multi-trillion-dollar industry to operate without a comprehensive regulatory framework is unrealistic”. – Patrick Witt
The White House Executive Director of the President’s Crypto Council said in response to the delay.
Other industry voices echoed growing frustration. Crypto firms and investor groups argue that the continued uncertainty hinders innovation, disrupts capital formation, and disadvantages U.S. markets compared to more regulatory and predictable jurisdictions abroad.
While the Banking Committee stalls, another legislative front has remained active. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its own version of the market structure bill, though insiders warn this draft could be more partisan and lacks the bipartisan support necessary for full Senate passage.
Senator John Boozman, chair of the Agriculture panel, defended his version’s progress, saying it builds on our bipartisan discussion draft while incorporating input from stakeholders and represents months of work.
However, the Agriculture Committee’s text will still need to be reconciled with the Banking Committee’s language and secure support from both Republicans and Democrats before moving to the Senate floor, a process that could further stretch timelines.
The delay also reflects broader political dynamics on Capitol Hill. With midterm elections approaching and lawmakers juggling priorities such as housing, budget negotiations, and national security measures, comprehensive crypto legislation is increasingly competing for floor time.
President Donald Trump, speaking at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, reiterated the administration’s commitment to fostering U.S. crypto leadership, stating that he hopes to sign the market structure bill soon to unlock new pathways for Americans to achieve financial freedom.
Despite such public endorsements, market reaction has been mixed. Some analysts suggest the postponement could give lawmakers more time to refine contentious provisions, particularly around stablecoin policies and regulatory jurisdiction, and potentially build a more durable consensus.
Others warn that prolonged uncertainty could dampen investment and slow institutional adoption.
As of now, no new markup date has been formally scheduled by the Banking Committee, leaving industry participants watching Washington closely.
If legislative attention continues to be diverted, comprehensive federal crypto regulation may not emerge until well into 2026, heightening the stakes for firms, investors, and regulators alike.
Those who have already endured volatility tied to regulatory signals, the delay shows that legislative clarity long promised remains one of the sector’s greatest unresolved challenges.
