U.S. lawmakers push back crypto bill markup amid housing focus

The Senate delayed consideration of a sweeping US crypto bill again as lawmakers prioritized housing legislation tied to rising living costs.

A major US crypto market bill faced another setback this week, as Senate lawmakers shifted attention to housing legislation tied to rising living costs.

According to a Jan. 22 Bloomberg report, the Senate Banking Committee was expected to delay its markup of the long-awaited digital asset market structure bill by several weeks, pushing the timeline to late February or March.

Housing costs take priority in Senate agenda

The renewed delay followed pressure from the Trump administration to focus on affordability issues ahead of the 2026 congressional elections, with housing identified as a key driver of inflation for American households.

Lawmakers began drafting legislation aimed at limiting large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Treasury Department to set thresholds for large institutional buyers and directing federal agencies to prohibit government-backed support for such purchases. 

Estimates indicate that institutional investors own less than 1% of U.S. single-family homes, although the effect of such measures on housing prices is still unknown. Still, political concerns around housing costs have taken precedence over crypto policy, despite digital assets being listed as a priority by the administration.

A spokesperson for the Senate Banking Committee declined to comment, while the White House did not immediately respond to media inquiries.

Crypto bill stalls amid industry and political friction

The crypto bill had already been postponed once on Jan. 15 after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew support, citing concerns over provisions affecting stablecoin rewards and tokenized equities.

The legislation seeks to establish a federal framework for digital assets by dividing oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The proposal calls for the CFTC to oversee digital commodities like Bitcoin (BTC), while the SEC would continue to oversee securities-linked tokens. 

According to industry associations, the bill would help maintain cryptocurrency innovation in the U.S. and offer much-needed regulatory clarity. The current drafts, according to critics like Coinbase, could limit yields, boost surveillance, and put pressure on decentralized finance protocols.

The delay may allow crypto firms and financial institutions more time to lobby lawmakers for changes that could attract broader support.

In parallel, the Senate Agriculture Committee released its own GOP-led draft on Jan. 21 and scheduled a markup for Jan. 27 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The proposal expanded the CFTC’s authority over digital commodities but lacked full Democratic backing, including support from Senator Cory Booker.

Any final legislation would need to merge the Agriculture and Banking Committee versions before reaching a full Senate vote. Industry estimates placed the bill’s chances of passage at 20% to 30% without major compromises, raising concerns that prolonged delays could leave U.S. crypto policy unresolved ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections.