U.S. Crypto Legislation Enters Critical Week: Market Structure Bill to Be Reviewed by Senate in January

After months of delays due to discussions and congressional recess until the new year, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee is expected to begin reviewing the Digital Asset Market Structure Bill this month.

Sources familiar with the matter reveal that the committee is highly likely to review the Responsible Financial Innovation Act in the second week of January, marking a significant step forward in the bill's progress.

Previously, Democratic lawmakers had long delayed the bill's advancement due to concerns over decentralized finance and the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

This prolonged delay in review faces multiple challenges and uncertainties. On one hand, whether the bill can garner enough bipartisan support in the Senate remains uncertain, and the political agenda for the 2026 midterm elections could further hinder the progress of the market structure bill and other crypto legislation.

On the other hand, the bill also faces potential impacts from personnel changes. Cynthia Lummis, the key lead involved in drafting the bill, announced on December 19 that she will not seek re-election in 2026, which could significantly weaken the bill's subsequent advancement if the Senate loses its core coordinator and technical experts.

Despite these challenges, the window for crypto legislation has officially opened. Previously, the House introduced the Clarity Act, which aims to establish a unified regulatory framework for the U.S. digital asset market and clarifies the regulatory responsibilities of the CFTC and SEC.

As Congress reconvenes after the New Year, the Senate Banking Committee, Agriculture Committee, and other relevant bodies will push forward with their respective draft versions of the bill, which will need to be coordinated into a unified text before being submitted for a full Senate vote.

Overall, January 2026 will be a critical window for observing the direction of U.S. crypto regulation.

While whether the bill will successfully pass remains uncertain, the initiation of committee review itself marks the beginning of a fierce bipartisan contest, entering an intense phase.

Regardless of the final outcome, this is an important step for the U.S. to end the ambiguity in crypto regulation and establish nationwide regulatory rules.

#Responsible Financial Innovation Act