Senate Committees Advance Competing Crypto Market Structure Bills

U.S. Senate lawmakers are advancing dueling legislative frameworks to regulate digital assets, with Agriculture and Banking Committees scheduling markup hearings for late January. The bipartisan effort aims to resolve longstanding jurisdictional ambiguities between the CFTC and SEC while addressing consumer protections and innovation incentives.

Key sticking points include governance of decentralized finance protocols and ethical safeguards for lawmakers with crypto holdings. The postponed January 15 hearing suggests lingering disagreements, though Senator Boozman highlights 'substantial bipartisan cooperation' ahead of the rescheduled January 27 session.

This legislative push coincides with renewed institutional interest in crypto markets, as evidenced by Bitcoin's 12% rally this month amid spot ETF approvals. Market participants are closely monitoring whether the bills will clarify treatment of staking services, stablecoins, and custody requirements.