Congress approved the ambitious crypto bill package backed by Trump

The House of Representatives approved three key bills that represent the largest legislative effort to date to regulate the cryptocurrency sector. These measures seek to establish a clear regulatory framework for digital assets, including stablecoins and other crypto assets, and to define the responsibilities of regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The most prominent bill is the GENIUS Act, approved by a wide majority (308-122), which establishes a framework for the regulation of the stablecoin market, whose value is tied to hard assets such as the US dollar. This measure would allow banks and other financial institutions to issue stablecoins, thus providing consumers with more options to store their wealth. The Senate had already approved this bill in a bipartisan manner (68 to 30) weeks earlier, after lengthy negotiations. Nevertheless, the measure encountered resistance in the House, especially among some Republicans, despite the support of President Donald Trump. This bill, already approved by both chambers, will head to the president's desk and could be enacted soon.  These lawmakers fear that the legislation could pave the way for a central bank-issued or controlled digital currency, which could result in greater government surveillance capacity over private financial transactions. In response to these concerns, the House also approved the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act by a narrow margin (218-210), with near-unanimous support from Republicans and only two Democrats: Jared Golden (Maine) and Shri Thanedar (Michigan).

This measure seeks to halt any attempt by the federal government to implement a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that could be used as a surveillance tool. Democratic Congressman Jim Himes (Connecticut) strongly criticized this initiative, calling it absurd and noting that US authorities already have means to monitor financial transactions if they wish. Meanwhile, the House also approved the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, with a vote of 294 to 134. This legislation aims to solve confusion over which agency should regulate which types of digital assets.

The bill assigns regulatory responsibilities to the SEC or the CFTC depending on how digital assets are used, thus seeking to provide clarity in a regulatory environment that has so far been marked by uncertainty. The three bills were part of a concerted legislative offensive that responds to Donald Trump's commitment to support the crypto sector, an issue that has gained relevance on the political agenda ahead of the elections. While these initiatives reflect significant progress toward regulating the sector, they have also highlighted the polarization surrounding the future of digital money in the United States, particularly regarding the involvement of the federal government and the balance between technological innovation and citizens' privacy.