Six Key Dates in U.S. Cryptocurrency Policy for 2026

Author |Aleks Gilbert, DL News

Over the past year, the U.S. has undergone a revolution in crypto policy.

In less than a year of his second term, President Donald Trump appointed industry-friendly regulators who ended investigations into crypto companies, made it easier for banks to hold crypto assets, and allowed asset management firms to issue crypto-related ETFs more easily.

With Trump's push, lawmakers passed landmark stablecoin legislation and made significant progress on market structure legislation.

Once these victories became a fait accompli, it was natural to wonder whether 2026 would still be an important year for crypto policy.

The short answer is: yes.

So, without further ado, here are some key dates for U.S. crypto policy in 2026.

January

January is set to be an eventful month.

First, White House crypto advisor David Sacks indicated that the Senate is expected to hold hearings on the market structure bill this January.

Sacks wrote on X in December: "We are closer than ever to passing the landmark crypto market structure legislation called for by President Trump. We look forward to getting this done in January!"

These hearings are expected to push the bill out of stagnation in the Senate, where the "Clarity Act" version of the bill had passed the House in July but stalled in the Senate.

Market structure legislation was originally thought to pass in 2025, and it could change the U.S. crypto industry.

It would end the turf war between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over jurisdiction in the crypto market.

During the Biden administration, both agencies have sought to claim authority over the crypto market.

"If the market structure legislation passes in early 2026, the focus will shift to the implementation phase," Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger told DL News.

"We hope to receive clear and enforceable rules from the SEC and CFTC, maintain ongoing coordination between agencies, and make targeted fixes in areas like tax clarity to ensure the U.S. remains a thriving center for crypto innovation."

January is expected to bring more than just this development.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins hopes to create an "innovation exemption" that would allow entrepreneurs to "immediately enter the market with new technologies and business models" without having to comply with regulatory requirements that are "not fitting or overly burdensome," provided they meet certain conditions.

Atkins stated on December 2 that this innovation exemption is expected to be announced within a month. This means it could come out at any time.

May 15

Jerome Powell's term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board will end on May 15.

Trump has criticized Powell for not cutting interest rates more aggressively. The president is likely to appoint a more "compliant" successor.

The Federal Reserve is responsible for setting U.S. monetary policy. High interest rates increase borrowing costs, thereby suppressing high-risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.

A more dovish (loose) monetary policy could drive the crypto market up — but it could also reignite inflation, which is one of the issues prompting Trump to return to the White House.

With "affordability" becoming a new keyword in U.S. politics, the new Federal Reserve chair chosen by Trump will not only affect crypto prices in 2026 but could also impact the 2028 presidential campaign.

Longtime Trump ally Kevin Hassett is currently seen as the frontrunner for the position, with a current nomination probability of 47%.

July 1

New crypto regulatory regulations will take effect in California on July 1, 2026.

The state's Digital Financial Assets Law requires any entity engaging in "digital financial asset business activities" with California residents to obtain a license from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, although certain exemptions apply.

California is a hub for many crypto entrepreneurs, and what happens in California often has an outsized impact on the entire U.S. tech sector.

July 18

Passing a bill will garner all the headlines, but the real battle begins when the regulatory agencies responsible for enforcing the law start interpreting the new legislation.

The Genius Act requires federal and state regulators to issue more supplemental regulations regarding issuer licensing, capital requirements, custody standards, anti-money laundering provisions, and more.

The deadline for these supplemental regulations is July 18, 2026.

Gibson Dunn law firm wrote in July: "Market participants will have significant opportunities to engage in policy initiatives and the rulemaking process."

This process has already become contentious. The banking industry is urging regulators to close a "loophole" that allows stablecoin issuers to offer yield products, which banks fear could undermine their deposit base.

The crypto industry is pushing back. The Blockchain Association stated in a letter to senators last week that these proposals could undermine "carefully negotiated compromises, reduce consumer choice, stifle competition, and inject uncertainty into the implementation of the new law."

August

By the end of August, we can expect two developments: the submission of crypto tax legislation and the finalization of CFTC regulations regarding the application of blockchain technology in capital markets.

Mersinger stated: "In addition to market structure, crypto tax policy remains a top priority." She specifically mentioned that Congressman Mike Carey has recently been working with the Treasury Department to address tax issues related to crypto staking.

On December 20, Republican Congressman Max Miller from Ohio submitted a draft bill called the Parity Act. This bill aims to establish a small tax-free threshold for stablecoins.

This means, for example, that spending $5 on a latte would not trigger a taxable event. The bill also seeks to prevent crypto lending from being treated as a taxable "asset sale." There are more provisions in the bill.

Miller expressed at the Blockchain Association policy summit in December that he believes Congress is likely to pass some version of the bill "before August next year."

In August 2025, then-CFTC Chair Caroline Pham announced a 12-month "crypto sprint" plan focusing on spot crypto trading, allowing the use of tokenized collateral in derivatives markets, and adjusting regulations to support the application of blockchain in the U.S. market.

Pham has already made progress on the first two tasks and expects the final task to be completed by August 2026.

November 3

The U.S. will hold midterm elections on November 3, and this election could dramatically change the outlook for U.S. crypto policy.

The president wields significant power, but he is not a "king" — the victories achieved by the crypto industry in 2025 were largely due to the Republican Party's slim control of both houses of Congress.

If this situation changes in 2026, the "golden age" of the crypto industry in Washington may come to an end.

The Democratic Party has indeed become more friendly toward the crypto industry. In 2025, the number of Democratic votes in favor of the House market structure bill was higher than in 2024, a change that many crypto lobbyists found encouraging.

However, a majority of Democratic lawmakers remain wary of this clearly liberal-leaning industry.

If the Democrats regain control of one or both houses of Congress, the likelihood of passing any crypto legislation would significantly decrease.

Fireblocks Policy Director Sea Markova recently stated that if the timing of the market structure legislation's passage is too close to the midterm elections, the risk of the bill being "entirely stalled will increase significantly."