According to reports, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee has stated that it will not schedule a hearing on the cryptocurrency market structure bill before the end of this year. This means it will be postponed until 2026. This has frustrated hopes for approval by senators in the last few days before the holidays.
A source from the committee has stated that negotiations between President Tim Scott and the Democrats are progressing well. This comes after President Scott's statements from some time ago. He claimed that the committee could consider a price increase on December 17 or 18.
While the delay was not unexpected, the sector hoped that even the introduction of a margin for the cryptocurrency market structure bill would signify progress after years of regulatory limbo.
This occurs at a difficult time in the Capitol. When Congress returns from the holiday recess, its priority will be to avoid a federal government shutdown. The current bill authorizing public spending expires on January 30.
Even if conversations resume soon, lawmakers have little time to work. Over time, attention will necessarily shift to the midterm elections, where it will be more difficult to pass significant legislation.
The cryptocurrency market structure bill would seek to define how federal agencies oversee digital assets. It would also detail the respective roles of the SEC and the CFTC. Subsequently, it would designate the CFTC as the primary regulator of spot cryptocurrency markets while detailing how securities laws are applied.
The Senate Banking Committee has distributed several drafts, and the Senate Agriculture Committee has issued a draft for discussion. The Senate Agriculture Committee still needs to conduct its own assessment of the bill.
Senate leaders claim that the effort is far from exhausted despite the delay. The committee adds that Scott made it clear from the beginning that such a bill must be bipartisan.
Committee officials have stated that discussions have been ongoing and that leaders will make announcements with updates in early 2026. However, no date was set for this event.
Meanwhile, the SEC has issued guidelines and has conducted several public discussions on the enforcement of existing laws regulating various types of cryptocurrency transactions.
