House Republicans Pass Crypto Bills After Marathon Vote, CBDC Ban Attached to Defense Bill

House Republicans pushed through three significant cryptocurrency bills following a record 10-hour procedural vote that concluded late Wednesday. The narrow 217-212 passage came after Freedom Caucus members secured concessions to attach a central bank digital currency ban to must-pass defense legislation.

The legislative package includes the GENIUS Act for stablecoin regulation—which could reach President Trump's desk by week's end—alongside the CLARITY Act establishing crypto market structure rules. Republican leaders brokered a last-minute deal to include anti-CBDC provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act, satisfying hardline holdouts who framed the issue as protecting financial privacy from government surveillance.

Market participants are watching the GENIUS Act closely as it moves toward potential enactment, with stablecoin issuers likely facing new compliance requirements. The CLARITY Act's market structure provisions could reshape trading venues' obligations when handling digital assets.