This article focuses on the market rally ahead of U.S. congressional votes on three major crypto-related bills, with special attention on the GENIUS Act—a stablecoin-focused regulation bill expected to pass with bipartisan support.
🔍 Key Points:
- GENIUS Act: Federal Stablecoin Framework
- Short for “Guaranteed and Enforced Neutral Infrastructure for U.S. Stablecoins”, the GENIUS Act would federally regulate stablecoins like USDC and USDT.
- It aims to bring oversight under the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and FDIC.
- The bill mandates reserves in U.S. dollars and treasuries, plus routine audits.
- Crypto Markets Respond Positively
- Bitcoin rose ~2% to $120K, and Ethereum crossed $6,800 on optimism.
- Market cap of U.S.-issued stablecoins jumped $25 billion in a week.
- Investors see this bill as making stablecoins “safe for Wall Street.”
- Companion Bills: Clarity Act & Anti-CBDC Act
- Clarity Act: Legally defines most crypto assets as commodities, not securities.
- Anti-CBDC Act: Prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), aligning with pro-privacy, pro-decentralization movements.
- Political Momentum & Trump Factor
- Trump’s public endorsement of Bitcoin and private stablecoins increased Republican support.
- Analysts believe bipartisan cooperation is at its highest ever in crypto regulation history.
- Institutional & Developer Confidence Up
- Fintechs like Circle, Coinbase, and Stripe have already started updating infrastructure in anticipation of new laws.
- Legal clarity is expected to unlock billions in dormant institutional capital sitting on the sidelines.
🧠 Expert Take:
“The GENIUS Act is the clearest signal yet that stablecoins are being treated as legitimate money infrastructure—not just speculative assets,” says Caitlin Long, CEO of Custodia Bank.
