US Senate Delays Crypto Market Structure Bill to 2026 Amid Regulatory Turf Wars
The US Senate has punted critical decisions on cryptocurrency oversight to early 2026, leaving exchanges and institutional investors in regulatory limbo. Disputes between the SEC and CFTC over jurisdiction—particularly regarding spot market oversight—derailed attempts to finalize legislation before the session closed.
At issue is the CLARITY Act's proposed division of authority between banking and agriculture committees. The stalemate reflects deeper tensions around DeFi oversight and investor protections, with neither side willing to cede ground. Market participants now face extended uncertainty about compliance requirements for tokens like BTC, ETH, and SOL.
The delay freezes progress on key questions: whether assets traded on platforms like Coinbase and Binance qualify as securities or commodities, and how decentralized protocols will be treated. 'This isn't gridlock—it's institutional failure,' remarked a lobbyist familiar with the negotiations, speaking anonymously due to client sensitivities.