Upcoming US Crypto Legislation and Policies to Watch in 2026
The US crypto regulatory landscape is poised for major shifts in the coming year as new policies and legislation begin to take effect. The Trump administration has taken steps indicating a less aggressive approach than previous administrations, such as reducing SEC enforcement actions against crypto firms and signing the GENIUS Act, a federal stablecoin regulatory framework, into law; this act will likely take effect in 2026 or later. Meanwhile, Congress is considering bills to clarify digital asset regulation, with both the House and Senate working on versions that could give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) more oversight, while the SEC continues to regulate digital asset ETFs. The GENIUS Act’s implementation is prompting banks to explore stablecoin and tokenized deposit issuance, potentially increasing global liquidity and accelerating payments. CFTC leadership remains in flux, with Trump’s nominee Michael Selig confirmed as chair but four commissioner seats still vacant. At the state level, Texas, Arizona, and New Hampshire have created legal frameworks to hold crypto assets as reserves, with Texas already investing in Bitcoin.
