US Crypto Market Bill Faces New Delay Until Late February or March: Report

Highlights:

• Banking Committee delays crypto bill weeks while lawmakers prioritize rising housing cost pressures.
• Agriculture Committee releases separate draft after failing to reach bipartisan policy agreement.
• Split committee approaches increase uncertainty around timing and final crypto legislation approval.

The United States crypto market structure bill faces a pause as attention moves toward housing policy. A Bloomberg report on Wednesday confirmed several weeks of delay. Members of the Senate Banking Committee plan to redirect energy toward housing affordability matters.

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Crypto Bill Delayed as Banking Committee Focuses on Housing

Sources familiar with the discussion said lawmakers want quick action on a plan linked to President Donald Trump’s housing order. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order limiting large institutional investors from buying single-family homes.

Housing costs remain a sensitive political issue. Rising prices played a role in Republicans losing several key elections last year, according to the report. Lawmakers now view housing relief as urgent for voter confidence and future campaign stability. The Banking Committee could put off movement on the crypto bill until late February or March. 

A sweeping US crypto market bill is likely to be delayed by at least several weeks as key lawmakers shift their focus to potential housing legislation in support of President Trump’s affordability push, according to sources https://t.co/fzJVLhjp9C

— Bloomberg (@business) January 21, 2026

Coinbase recently removed support for the draft text prepared by the Banking Committee. The company ranks among the largest crypto donors tied to the Trump administration. Chief executive Brian Armstrong raised concerns about limits on stablecoin yield. According to Armstrong, proposed limits favor the United States banking sector over crypto firms. Such limits reduce potential returns for digital asset platforms. Industry groups continue private talks seeking revisions that offer fair treatment across financial sectors.

Just arrived in Davos for @WEF. Three main goals this week:

1) Talk to world leaders about economic freedom and how crypto can update their financial systems

2) Continue the push for market structure legislation

3) Keep pushing for tokenization to democratize access to capital… pic.twitter.com/knjuMZKRtb

— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) January 19, 2026

Industry Response and Committee Differences

The delay also offers added time for crypto firms to build broader agreement around revised language. Bloomberg reported that added weeks could support negotiation efforts aimed at forming a bill capable of winning wide backing inside Congress.

Another development came from the Senate Agriculture Committee. On Wednesday evening, members released a separate version of the market structure proposal ahead of a planned markup hearing scheduled for Jan. 27.

US Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman says Republicans on the panel have not yet reached an agreement with Democrats on key policy issues in crypto market structure legislation. “While differences remain on fundamental policy issues, this bill builds on our bipartisan discussion draft while incorporating input from stakeholders and represents months of work,” said Boozman.

Differences between committee drafts remain unresolved and require careful alignment before any combined proposal moves forward. Both committee versions must merge before reaching a Senate floor vote. Senate rules require a 60-vote threshold for passage. Such a margin demands full Republican backing, along with support from several Democratic senators.

The bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee is intended to give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight of digital commodity markets and protection for developers and traders. The Senate Banking Committee version of the bill is more concerned with securities definitions and issues related to the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as stablecoin regulations.

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