The crypto industry is bracing for significant changes in the US regulatory environment over the next 12 months, as various policy changes and laws take effect. Many industry executives and users expect these changes to have a profound impact on the industry. 
US President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 marked a shift in the regulatory landscape, with the administration’s policies signaling a departure from previous approaches. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s rejection of enforcement cases against crypto companies and the signing of a stablecoin law are notable examples of this shift. According to YouHodler market chief Ruslan Lienkha, “I expect more jurisdictions to establish clear and transparent regulatory frameworks for the crypto industry, which should facilitate broader participation. Consequently, we are expected to see a significant increase in the participation of banks and other financial institutions in the market in 2026.”
Structure of the Digital Assets Market
The US Senate is still to vote on a bill establishing clear regulatory guidelines for digital assets, known as the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY). The bill was passed by the House of Representatives in July, but Senate lawmakers have indicated that their versions of the legislation will “build on” the existing bill rather than push it through the chamber without changes. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) may be given more power to regulate digital assets, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken on a more prominent role in overseeing cryptocurrencies.
According to digital asset management firm Grayscale, the bill will “facilitate deeper integration between public blockchains and traditional finance, facilitate regulated trading of digital asset securities, and potentially enable on-chain issuance by both startups and established companies.” The SEC oversees exchange-traded funds tied to digital assets, while the CFTC regulates Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) as commodities in digital form.
Implementation of the GENIUS Stablecoin Law
The GENIUS Act, signed into law by Trump in July 2025, aims to create a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. Although the law will take effect either 18 months after enactment or 120 days after regulators approve the rules related to its implementation, the U.S. Treasury Department has opened two comment rounds on proposed rules related to the GENIUS Act. According to some experts, the notice of proposed rulemaking could be published in the first half of 2026.
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen noted that “as regulatory clarity solidifies, particularly through legislation like the GENIUS Act, which establishes federal stablecoin oversight, banks are increasingly exploring on-chain tools that could transform payments, settlements, and liquidity provision.” The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has also proposed that subsidiaries of regulated banks could issue payment stablecoins according to the criteria established under GENIUS.
CFTC Leadership and State-Level Crypto Reserves
In 2025, four of the five commissioners serving as the CFTC’s leadership resigned, leaving only Republican Caroline Pham as the agency’s acting chair and sole commissioner as of December. Trump has not publicly announced potential replacements for the four remaining CFTC commissioner seats, despite many of them being vacant for months. In June, Texas Governor Gregg Abbot signed a bill to create a state-managed fund that could hold Bitcoin (BTC), making the state the first to establish a crypto reserve.
State officials announced in November that the fund held $5 million worth of shares in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF and planned to invest another $5 million directly into BTC, a move that could come in 2026. Although many lawmakers in other US states proposed similar crypto reserve bills in 2024 and 2025, only Arizona and New Hampshire have laws enacted. Both states could announce BTC or other crypto purchases as part of their governments’ financial strategy in the coming year.
For more information on upcoming crypto legislation and policies, visit Cointelegraph.
