Recapping Historic Week For U.S. Crypto Regulations

• The GENIUS Act legitimises stablecoins, reinforcing the USD’s dominance in digital payments. It was signed into law last week, making it the first major piece of crypto legislation in the U.S.
• The CLARITY Act sets out to define how crypto assets are classified and regulated, bringing much-needed legal certainty. This is generally considered a more complicated piece of legislation than the GENIUS Act, which was exclusively about stablecoins.
• The Anti-CBDC Surveillance Act aims to block government-controlled digital currencies that could threaten user privacy.

Introduction

The U.S. just concluded its first official ‘Crypto Week’ in Congress, a focused burst of legislative action aimed at shaping the future of digital assets. Lawmakers debated, amended and passed several crypto-related bills, signalling that the U.S. is ready to take a more active role in the global blockchain race.

Congressman Riley Moore emphasised the importance of these three key regulations

President Donald Trump's administration has taken a clear pro-crypto stance, supporting innovation while pushing for regulatory clarity. These new efforts are part of a broader strategy to re-establish the U.S. as a tech and financial powerhouse. Rather than watching from the sidelines, America is now positioning itself as a key player in digital finance, setting the rules and driving adoption from the top down.

GENIUS Act Passes, Helping Stablecoin Adoption

The GENIUS Act, a stablecoin-focused bill, has passed both Congressional houses and is now federal law. It recognises regulated USD-pegged stablecoins as a valid and secure form of digital money.

Stablecoins are currently the most practical use of blockchain after Bitcoin’s role as a store of value. The GENIUS Act helps make the U.S. dollar the go-to digital currency around the world. It means anyone with internet access can hold and use a trusted version of the dollar online.

“Stablecoin legislation backed by U.S. Treasuries or T-bills will create a market that will expand U.S. dollar usage via these stablecoins all around the world.”
– Scott Bessent (U.S. Treasury Secretary)

This shift opens the door to faster global payments, cheaper remittances, and greater financial inclusion. It also creates a strong foundation for new digital services to be built on blockchain networks, bringing stability and trust to crypto-powered finance.

CLARITY Act: Comprehensive Crypto Regulatory Framework

The CLARITY Act has cleared the House and now awaits a Senate vote. Its primary goal is to eliminate long-standing uncertainty by clearly defining which federal agency oversees different types of digital assets.

The CLARITY Act aims to simplify the legal standing of cryptocurrencies

Under the proposed framework, digital assets would be classified based on their characteristics. Tokens that are considered sufficiently decentralised—such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and others—would fall under the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), treating them as digital commodities. On the other hand, tokens that offer profit rights, resemble investment contracts or are still centrally controlled would be regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as securities.

This clarity is expected to help developers, exchanges and investors understand which rules apply, avoid legal grey zones, and bring more confidence to the broader market.

Anti-CBDC Surveillance Act

This bill has passed the House of Representatives but still needs to be approved by the Senate before becoming law. It is designed to prevent the U.S. government from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that could be used to track individual transactions or restrict financial freedoms.

Supporters see it as a safeguard against government overreach in digital finance. While it doesn’t block private innovation, it puts clear limits on state-run programmable money. For the crypto community, it reinforces the value of decentralisation and privacy, which are core tenets of blockchain ideology.

Conclusion

Together, these three bills form a powerful framework: stablecoin legitimisation, regulatory clarity, and protection from CBDC surveillance. Each marks a step toward integrating crypto into the mainstream without compromising core values like privacy and decentralisation.