The US Senate Banking Committee plans to delay the crypto market structure bill until late February or March, according to Bloomberg. Lawmakers will shift attention to housing affordability legislation after President Trump’s recent push on costs.
The crypto market structure bill, often called the CLARITY Act, would set a regulatory framework for digital assets. However, negotiations slowed after Coinbase Global Inc. withdrew support for the committee draft.
People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the Senate Banking Committee will pivot to housing measures instead of digital-asset legislation. The effort targets large institutional investors that buy single-family homes, the report said.
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing agencies to issue guidance that limits government support for those purchases. In addition, the order directs the US Department of the Treasury to define a threshold for ‘large: institutions.
Meanwhile, housing costs remain the biggest monthly expense for many Americans and a key inflation driver, the report noted. Still, the report cited estimates showing large institutions own less than 1% of single-family housing stock.
Coinbase Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong publicly pulled support for the Banking Committee draft bill text last week. He flagged issues that included what he described as a de facto ban on tokenized equities.
Armstrong also objected to language limiting stablecoin yield; he said the approach would favor the US banking sector over crypto companies. Patrick Witt, White House Executive Director of the President’s Crypto Council, urged swift progress on the crypto market structure bill, noting that lawmakers should not expect a multi-trillion-dollar industry to operate without a comprehensive framework.
Witt also urged negotiators to keep improving the product while accepting compromises to reach 60 votes in the Senate. Consequently, the renewed delay could give industry groups more time to lobby for language that wins broad support.
Backers say the bill would clarify oversight lines between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Both agencies claim authority over parts of the digital asset economy, while Congress considers jurisdiction boundaries.
Meanwhile, the US Senate Agriculture Committee released its version of digital-asset market structure legislation on Wednesday evening. The committee plans to hold a markup on January 27, Bloomberg reported.
The Bloomberg report said the Banking delay may not affect the Agriculture Committee’s schedule. Still, both panels will need a unified approach before any full Senate vote.
The Agriculture panel released the draft without backing from Democratic Senator Cory Booker, the report said. Industry insiders have raised concerns that a partisan bill could struggle to advance.
Chairman John Boozman said the text reflects months of work and incorporates stakeholder input. However, differences remain on the “fundamental policy issues,” based on Boozman’s statement cited in the report.
Any Senate vote would require lawmakers to merge the Agriculture draft with the Banking Committee measure. Furthermore, a 60-vote threshold would require unified Republicans plus some Democratic support.
Trump has also signaled urgency on the broader digital-asset agenda. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in 2026, he hoped to sign crypto market structure legislation “very soon,” and referenced a prior GENIUS Act signed last year.
The Agriculture Committee’s January 27 markup now sets an early milestone, while the Banking panel focuses on housing costs. Lawmakers may revisit the CLARITY Act in late February or March, as negotiations continue.