The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee voted 12-11 along party lines to advance a crypto market structure bill on January 29, 2026, marking a milestone despite lacking bipartisan support. Democrats opposed the measure over concerns including ethics rules for President Donald Trump and his family's crypto interests, as well as protections for consumers and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The bill now heads to the Senate Banking Committee for further consideration.
On January 29, 2026, the Senate Agriculture Committee, chaired by Republican John Boozman of Arkansas, held a markup hearing on legislation aimed at establishing clear regulatory authority for digital commodities. After less than an hour of debate and the rejection of several Democratic amendments, the committee advanced the bill in a 12-11 party-line vote, with all Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. This represents the furthest progress for comprehensive crypto market structure rules in the Senate, building on a bipartisan discussion draft from November 2025 and the House-passed Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act of 2025. The bill would grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) exclusive jurisdiction over spot markets for digital commodities, while securities-related assets remain under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
