Everyone looks at the charts. However, very few legislators are keeping watch. This is a mistake. On January 15, the US Senate could reshape how cryptocurrencies work. Right in the heart of the largest financial center in the world. This bill won’t tell you which coin will pump next. It decides which parts of cryptography are allowed to grow.
Institutions care about rules. Developers care about certainty. As an investor, you need to worry about both. Ignoring regulations does not make them useless. This simply removes your advantage. You don’t need to be afraid. You need context. And context turns noise into strategy. This crypto bill should provide that context.
The Senate Bill on “Cryptocurrency Market Structure”
We are talking about the Senate bill on “Cryptocurrency Market Structure”. This is also known as the Senate Crypto Market Structure Project. Senators Gillibrand and Lummis is the driving force. It’s interesting that they represent both parties. Gillibrand is a Democrat from New York. Lummis is a Republican from Wyoming. Bipartisan efforts are leading the way. American policy could benefit much more from this.
We are not talking about a particular bill here. This is a radical bill that introduces major and far-reaching changes. I will return to the nature of these bills in a moment.
January 15
Initially, there was talk of adopting this bill before Christmas. However, this mattered outside of reality. The Senate was in recess, and it was not relevant enough to meet. The project is nevertheless back on track and a new date is set for January 15. See the image below.
Source: Banking Senate
In mid-December, Senator Gillibrand and Lummis attended the Blockchain Association Policy Summit in Washington. There they both said a full draft would arrive that week. This draft is now available and was published today.
Now this bill will be very positive for the crypto market. It aims to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets.
Bypass the SEC
For example, it decides which regulator oversees which type of crypto products. The SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission play a role in this. However, in the latest twist, the bill seeks to marginalize the SEC when it comes to crypto. This is major news that could potentially change the entire rules of the game.
BREAK:
US SENATE JUST SUBMITTED BILL
TO KEEP DRY OUT OF CRYPTO. 🇺🇸IF THIS PASSES,
THE ENTIRE PLAYING FIELD CHANGES OVER THE NIGHT. pic.twitter.com/cm95lig54j– Merlijn the Trader (@MerlijnTrader) January 4, 2026
This bill also addresses various other cryptographic bottlenecks. As,
- Decentralized finance, or DeFi.
- Token ranking. Are tokens securities, commodities or network tokens.
- Anti-money laundering/illicit financing provisions.
The bill aims to go beyond previous bills like the Clarity Act. This project is developed via a two-committee approach:
- The Senate Banking Committee. This handles issues facing the SEC (securities definitions, investor protection, etc.)
- The Senate Agriculture Committee. This manages the monitoring of digital commodities (CFTC jurisdiction, commodities, stable coins/crypto-commodities).
So there’s a lot at stake here. Such a bill will have broad implications for crypto regulation. So let’s first see what type of invoices we’re looking at.
What is this roofing project?
Before we look at what this bill covers, let’s first look at what bills have already passed into law. We have, for example,
The GENIUS law
Its full name is the Act on the Current Generation of Electronic Money and the Guarantee of its Use. This is the first US federal law regulating payment stablecoins. It creates a framework for private digital currencies by establishing rules for,
- Reserves. Like 1:1 support with cash or treasury bills.
- License issuers. For example, banks or fintechs.
- Ensure consumer protection. An example is priority claims in bankruptcy.
- Demand compliance with AML/sanctions.
All of this aims to bring stability and clarity to the growing digital asset market. However, this is stablecoin specific. It does not cover the broader category of cryptocurrencies. This is where Lummis and Gillibrand come into play.
For example, the House has already passed the CLARITY Act. The bill is now before the Senate and is being reviewed and negotiated. So, here’s what this act is about.
The CLARTÉ law
Its real name is the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. This is a bill in the United States House of Representatives. It aims to create a clear regulatory framework for digital assets. It divides them into digital products, investment contracts (securities) and authorized payment stablecoins. Thus, it grants the CFTC authority over commodities and the SEC on securities. It defines a digital good by its value linked to its blockchain network. At the same time, it excludes securities and stablecoins. It aims to stimulate innovation in the United States by providing clear rules.
However, what Lummis and Gillibrand are advocating goes well beyond the Clarity Act. This law gives clarity to documents and assets. The Lummis and Gillibrand Act is a broader “market structure” bill. It covers the entire crypto ecosystem. This project explicitly relies on CLARITY. However, this broadens its scope. This would codify the CFTC’s authority over digital products, such as:
- Spot trading.
- DeFi exchanges.
- Token classifications.
- Anti-money laundering (AML) provisions.
- Stablecoin rules.
So the Lummis-Gillibrand version doesn’t just aim to give clarity to parts and assets, like CLARITY does. This is about how the entire US crypto ecosystem will be regulated. This includes exchanges, stablecoins, DeFi, token classification, compliance, and more.
This means greater regulatory impact, more stakeholders and potentially more debate. But also a more complete and more sustainable legal framework. And that’s the problem. No more debate. Will Lummis-Gillibrand manage to get this project adopted before the Christmas holidays?
What can we expect on January 15?
On January 15, we can expect a markup hearing. This is the action phase during which a bill is actually developed and edited. This follows the collection of information during the hearings. This is the first formal committee vote on the language of the bill. The committee must approve this before it can go to the Senate for a vote. Thus, this bill aims to resolve the SEC-CFTC jurisdictional conflict that has been going on for years.
With this latest update, the SEC could be sidelined. It gives the CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over two important characteristics of digital commodities:
- Secondary market liquidity.
- One-off operations.
This indicates a big change. This will reduce the influence of the SEC over the crypto markets. Indeed, if a token is considered a digital asset under the law, it now falls under the jurisdiction of the CFTC. So anyone handling trade execution would register with and primarily respond to the CFTC. Currently, the SEC is in charge. This is a major change for trading platforms, brokers and traders.
Reviews
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner and Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno criticized the bill. They look for careful writing and monitoring. They are not against the bill; however, they will not support a poorly designed bill.
🚨NEW: TO @moonpayit’s New York
office today, senator @MarkWarner told me it would be “very difficult” to get a markup of the crypto market structure before the Christmas holiday because they are still waiting for language from the White House for two major elements of the bill: ethics and quorum.“HAS… pic.twitter.com/73QFxQQHY4
– Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) December 8, 2025
There is also great procedural complexity. To pass, the bill must approve several committees. Like the banking committees, agriculture committees and maybe more. He must also reconcile the conflicting versions of the House and the Senate. Finally, he must obtain approval from the White House.
If this passes, it will provide a much-needed boost to the crypto markets. However, we are looking at a 4-6 week window at best before this bill comes to a final vote in the Senate. A realistic scenario is 2 to 4 months.
What do you think would be a realistic timeline for this bill? Let me know in the comments and make sure to follow us on X and Discord.
Disclaimer
The information discussed by Altcoin Buzz does not constitute financial advice. This is for educational, entertainment and informational purposes only. All information or strategies are thoughts and opinions relevant to the author/reviewer’s accepted levels of risk tolerance, and their risk tolerance may be different from yours.
We are not responsible for any losses you may incur as a result of any investment directly or indirectly related to the information provided. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments, so please do your due diligence.
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