The US House of Representatives is gearing up for what Republican leadership has branded “Crypto Week,” a legislative push scheduled from next Monday to Friday that could reshape the future of digital asset regulation in the country.
This week’s episode of Byte-Sized Insight explores the political stakes of these bills, the industry’s lobbying efforts and whether bipartisan support is enough to push legislation across the finish line.
Lawmakers are expected to debate and potentially vote on three high-profile bills: the CLARITY Act, which would define regulatory oversight of crypto markets; the GENIUS Act, which creates a framework for stablecoins and has already cleared the Senate; and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which would ban the creation of a US central bank digital currency.
Clarity for crypto
Mason Lynaugh, community director at Stand With Crypto, a nonprofit advocacy organization backed by Coinbase, emphasized that the crypto industry sees this moment as urgent and potentially decisive.
“We’re seeing some unbelievable momentum, unbelievable attention and focus and bipartisan support for crypto as a topic.”
“But the urgency is very real… while we have the momentum, we have to make sure we finish this mission,” said Lynaugh.
Just days before Congress convenes, Stand With Crypto and more than 65 other companies and advocacy groups submitted a letter urging House lawmakers to support the CLARITY Act. Lynaugh acknowledged the rising political temperature around crypto.
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He added that the CLARITY Act tackles long-standing questions about regulatory jurisdiction and consumer protections. “This bill covers all of the questions about what does the SEC do? What does the CFTC do? What do token launches look like? What is decentralization?”
Crypto and politics
“It’s really unfortunate that people have tried to politicize crypto,” he said. “When you cut through the noise and you look at the numbers… this is a broadly bipartisan topic.”
The group’s grassroots mobilization efforts have ramped up in recent months. “We have over 50 million Americans that own crypto,” Lynaugh said, pointing to 2.2 million Stand With Crypto advocates and over 70,000 emails sent to US senators ahead of recent votes.
With the CLARITY Act and other bills facing a narrow pre-recess window, the forthcoming week may be the crypto industry’s clearest shot yet at shaping US law.
Still, the stakes remain high. Lynaugh warned lawmakers:
“If you don’t pass it… all the questions that we’ve had for years will not have been answered.”
Listen to the full episode of Byte-Sized Insight for the complete interview on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And don’t forget to check out Cointelegraph’s full lineup of other shows!
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