- The structure of the crypto market and the implementation of the Genius Act will dominate the political debate in the United States in 2026.
- A tax bill is also in preparation.
- But both could hinge on midterm elections in November, which could shift the balance of power in Washington, DC.
The last year has seen a revolution in US crypto policy.
Less than a year into his second term, President Donald Trump implemented industry-friendly regulators that dropped investigations into crypto companies, made it easier for banks to hold cryptocurrencies and for asset managers to issue crypto-focused exchange-traded funds.
At Trump’s urging, lawmakers passed landmark stablecoin legislation and made serious progress on market structure legislation.
With these victories in the rearview mirror, we are right to wonder if 2026 will be an eventful year in terms of crypto politics.
The short answer: yes.
So, without further ado, here are some key dates for US crypto policy in 2026.
January
January is shaping up to be an action-packed month.
For starters, White House crypto advisor David Sacks said the Senate is expected to hold hearings on the market structure bill in the first month of the year.
“We are closer than ever to passing the historic crypto market structure legislation requested by President Trump,” Sacks wrote on X in December. “We can’t wait to finish the work in January! »
Those hearings are expected to unblock the bill in the Senate, where it has been stalled since a version called the Clarity Act was approved by the House of Representatives in July.
Originally scheduled for 2025, the market structure legislation could transform the US crypto industry.
This would end a regulatory turf war between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Both agencies have attempted to assert jurisdiction over crypto markets under the Biden administration.
“If market structure legislation is passed in early 2026, the focus will be on implementation,” said Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association. DL News.
“We want to ensure we have clear and enforceable SEC and CFTC rules, continued interagency coordination, and targeted solutions such as tax clarity, to ensure the United States remains a thriving capital for crypto innovation.”
This is not the only development expected in January.
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins wants to create an “innovation exemption” to allow entrepreneurs to “immediately enter the market with new technologies and business models” without having to comply with “incompatible or burdensome” regulations, provided they meet certain conditions.
On December 2, Atkins said he expected this innovation exemption within a month. This means it could happen any day.
May 15
Jerome Powell’s term as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve ends on May 15. Trump attacked Powell for refusing to cut interest rates more aggressively.
The president will likely appoint a more flexible successor.
The central bank sets American monetary policy. High interest rates make borrowing more expensive, putting a damper on high-risk assets, such as cryptocurrencies.
A more dovish approach to monetary policy could fuel a crypto rally — but it could also reignite inflation, one of the problems that fueled Trump’s return to the White House.
While “affordability” is the new buzzword in American politics, Trump’s choice for Fed chair will not only impact cryptocurrency prices in 2026, but it could also impact the presidential race in 2028.
Longtime Trump ally Kevin Hassett is currently considered the frontrunner for the position, with Polymarket oddsmakers giving him a 47% chance of being nominated.
July 1
New crypto regulations will take effect in California on July 1, 2026.
The state’s Digital Financial Assets Act requires any person engaging in “digital financial asset business” with a California resident to obtain a license from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, with certain exemptions.
The state is home to many crypto entrepreneurs, and what happens in California has an outsized impact on American technology as a whole.
July 18
The passage of a bill makes headlines, but the real battle begins when the regulators responsible for making the laws begin analyzing the new legislation.
The Genius Act directs federal and state regulators to issue additional regulations regarding issuer licensing, capital requirements, custody standards, anti-money laundering provisions and more.
These additional regulations are expected on July 18, 2026.
“There will be significant opportunities for market participants to participate in advocacy efforts and the rulemaking process,” Gibson Dunn attorneys wrote in July.
The process has already become controversial. Banks are demanding that regulators close a “loophole” that allows stablecoin issuers to offer yield, a feature that banks say would undermine their deposit base. The crypto industry is fighting back.
These proposals risk undermining “a carefully negotiated compromise, reducing consumer choice, removing competition, and injecting uncertainty into the implementation of new law,” the Blockchain Association said in a letter to senators last week.
August
We can expect two developments by the end of August: the filing of cryptocurrency tax legislation and the finalization of CFTC regulations regarding the use of blockchain technology in capital markets.
“Beyond market structure, crypto tax policy remains a top priority,” Mersinger said, highlighting Rep. Mike Carey’s recent work with the Treasury Department to address tax issues related to crypto staking.
On December 20, Representative Max Miller, a Republican from Ohio, introduced a bill called the Parity Act. It seeks to establish a de minimus exemption for stablecoins.
This means that spending $5 on a latte, for example, does not trigger a taxable event. It also aims to prevent crypto loans from being treated as a taxable sale. And much more.
During an appearance at the Blockchain Association Policy Summit in December, Miller said he believed Congress could pass a version of his bill “by hopefully next August.”
In August 2025, then-CFTC Chair Caroline Pham announced a 12-month “crypto sprint” focused on spot crypto trading, allowing the use of tokenized collateral in derivatives markets, and tweaking regulations to enable the use of blockchain technology in U.S. markets.
Pham has already made progress on the first two elements and she envisions this last element to be completed by August 2026.
November 3
The United States will hold midterm elections on November 3, and it has the potential to upend the outlook for American crypto policy.
The president is powerful, but he is not a king: Industry victories in 2025 are largely due to Republicans narrowly controlling both houses of Congress.
If this changes in 2026, it could end the golden age of crypto in Washington, DC.
Democrats have certainly warmed to crypto. Market structure legislation in the House passed with more Democratic votes in 2025 than in 2024, a change that warmed the hearts of many crypto lobbyists earlier this year.
But a majority of Democrats are still wary of the libertarian-leaning industry.
If Democrats take control of one or both houses of Congress, the chances of passing crypto legislation will decrease significantly.
Fireblocks political director Sea Markova recently said the market structure legislation was “totally at risk if its passage is too close to the midterm elections.”
Aleks Gilbert is DL News’ DeFi correspondent based in New York. You can contact him at aleks@dlnews.com.
