The American Senate has postponed the long-awaited law on the structure of the cryptocurrency market, pushing the final consideration to early 2026. Politicians ran out of legislative time after internal disagreements delayed consensus on key provisions.
Postponed consideration prolongs regulatory uncertainty for cryptocurrency exchanges, issuers, and institutional investors operating in the USA.
Why there was a delay for the bill on the structure of the cryptocurrency market
The bill, which builds on the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act passed in the House of Representatives, aims to define how digital assets should be regulated. It will formally divide oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Unresolved disagreements over jurisdiction, DeFi oversight, and consumer protection, however, slowed progress.
Senate negotiators failed to reconcile the differences between the banking and agriculture committees. These committees oversee the SEC and CFTC, respectively, and both claim to have authority over crypto spot markets.
As a result, politicians were unable to finalize the wording of the bill so that both sides supported it before the meeting adjourned.
Regulation of DeFi also became a major point of contention. Some senators wanted exemptions for decentralized protocols without any controlling intermediaries.
Others warned that broad exemptions could undermine enforcement and create regulatory gaps.
Consumer organizations increased pressure by opposing parts of the bill. They believe the framework shifts power away from the SEC and weakens investor protection following several high-profile crypto collapses.
This opposition led to further revisions and slower negotiations.
Despite the delay, the bill significantly differs from other crypto legislation that has already been enacted. Unlike the GENIUS Act, which only focuses on stablecoins, the market structure law targets the entire trading ecosystem of crypto.
It sets rules for exchanges, brokers, custodians, and token issuers within a comprehensive federal framework.
The bill also goes beyond enforcement-based regulation. It introduces fixed standards for asset classification and limits the reliance on court rulings to determine whether tokens are securities or commodities.
Politicians say that this approach will replace regulatory uncertainty with statutory clarity.