U.S. Senate Delays Crypto Market Structure Bill Until 2026

Key Highlights

• The Senate Banking Committee has reportedly confirmed that it will not hold a market structure markup this year, postponing it to early 2026
• According to the spokesperson, Chairman Scott and the committee have made “strong progress” on bipartisan digital asset market structure legislation
• The revelation comes after the SEC Chairman praised blockchain technology, saying that public blockchains are more transparent than the traditional financial system 

According to the recent report, a spokesman for the Senate Banking Committee confirmed that the Banking Committee will not hold a bipartisan market structure bill in 2025.

The spokesperson stated that Chairman Scott and the committee have made “strong progress” with Democratic counterparts on bipartisan digital asset market structure legislation. 

It means that Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott will not hold a committee vote on a major cryptocurrency bill this week and will postpone the issue to next year.

The spokesperson said to Eleanor Terrett, “From the outset, Chairman Scott has been clear that this effort should be bipartisan. He has consistently and patiently engaged in good-faith discussions to produce a strong bipartisan product that provides clarity for the digital asset industry and also makes America the crypto capital of the world. The Committee is continuing to negotiate and looks forward to a markup in early 2026.” 

What Is Market Structure Bill

The effort to create a comprehensive and detailed regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States is focused on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, which is widely known as the CLARITY Act. 

This major legislation was passed by the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support in July 2025. The bill is expected to create a foundational framework that divides administration between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Exchange Commission (CFTC).

Apart from this, this market structure bill will resolve some longstanding questions, like how to classify different tokens, how to assess decentralization, and how to regulate spot markets.

After getting approval in the House, the bill has entered the Senate, where two different committees are working on drafts. 

The Senate Banking Committee, which handles SEC-related matters, and the Senate Agriculture Committee, which handles CFTC jurisdiction, have each released their own discussion drafts. These drafts are developed upon the House’s CLARITY Act and other legislative proposals. 

What Progress is Being Made on the Market Structure Bill

Under the U.S. President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto administration, the Senate process has started working aggressively on this market structure bill in the second half of 2025. They have conducted closed-door bipartisan negotiations in November and December. 

This major development made this moment big when SEC Chairman Paul Atkins called for public support for the legislative effort in early December.   

As of now, the legislative process requires formal markups in both Senate committees before a unified bill can be sent to the full Senate for a vote. However, planned December markups have faced delays due to major sticking points in negotiations. Major unresolved issues include whether stablecoin issuers can provide yield-like rewards.  

After the U.S. President signed the GENIUS Act into law, the cryptocurrency market is expecting a clear regulatory framework. 

SEC and CFTC Collaborate to Establish a Clear Regulatory Framework

After years of regulatory ambiguity, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity and Futures Trading Commission are now actively collaborating to build a clearer regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. 

Today, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins praised the blockchain technology, saying that “Public blockchains are more transparent than any legacy financial system ever built. Every movement of value is recorded on a ledger that anyone can inspect. Chain analytics firms are already exceptional at assisting law enforcement with linking on-chain activity to off-chain identities. In other words, pushed in the wrong direction, crypto could become the most powerful financial surveillance architecture ever invented.

In 2025, the SEC announced the launch of Project Crypto, and the CFTC also rolled out the Crypto Sprint program. In September, the chairs of both agencies issued public statements on regulatory harmonization and held a roundtable with industry leaders. 

Also Read: SEC Chair: Blockchains More Powerful Than Traditional System