The United States is gearing up for a pivotal election year, with the balance of power in Congress hanging in the balance. Amidst this backdrop, a Coinbase-backed cryptocurrency advocacy group, Stand With Crypto (SWC), has announced its top priority: ensuring the passage of federal laws governing the digital asset market structure. This move is seen as a crucial step towards creating a more favorable regulatory environment for the crypto industry.
In its annual review report released on Thursday, SWC revealed that its advocacy efforts have added 675,000 people across the U.S., bringing the total to 2.6 million. Although the group plans to continue mobilizing its members during the 2026 U.S. midterm elections to support pro-crypto candidates, its primary goal is to help push the digital asset market structure bill through Congress. The bill, known as the Responsible Financial Innovation Act (RFIA) in the Senate, is expected to pass the Banking Committee next week, with lawmakers on the Senate Agriculture Committee also working on their own version.
Source: Stand With Crypto
The digital asset market structure bill, if signed into law, is expected to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation to impact the crypto industry since its inception in 2009. The CLARITY Act, the version of the market structure passed by the US House of Representatives in July, and drafts of the RFIA suggest that the bill could grant the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission more power to regulate digital assets. This development has sparked interest among industry stakeholders, with some wondering if the US Congress will become more crypto-friendly in 2026.
Crypto Advocacy Groups Take Center Stage
Mason Lynaugh, community director at Stand With Crypto, noted in November that the way lawmakers vote on the market structure bill could impact their re-election bids in 2026. With all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats up for grabs, the elections could potentially allow Democrats to regain majority control from Republicans. Another crypto and blockchain advocacy group, The Digital Chamber, announced that it would facilitate discussions between members of Congress and industry representatives ahead of the price hike for the market structure bill on Thursday.
Challenges Ahead
Some experts are still concerned that a possible government shutdown in late January could slow the bill’s progress. In October, US lawmakers failed to agree on a funding bill, resulting in the longest government shutdown in the country’s history. This event is likely to have slowed progress on the market structure bill in the Senate, after some Republican leaders predicted it would take effect by 2026.
As the crypto industry continues to evolve, it is essential to stay informed about the latest developments and regulatory changes. For more information on the digital asset market structure bill and its potential impact on the industry, visit https://cointelegraph.com/news/stand-with-crypto-goal-digital-asset-market-structure?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss_tag_regulation&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
