The advancement of the cryptocurrency market structure bill is hindered, and May 25 may be the "deadline" for progress

The crypto market structure bill has seen almost no public progress in the past month. While it is quite difficult to predict the outcome of the bill, the window for passing it is narrowing. Many actions surrounding the market structure issue—such as statements from staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)—are not permanent guidance. The SEC has time to issue rules that require public notice and comment periods, but this will take time.

The market structure legislation aims to codify the goals of the crypto industry and regulatory rules into law, making it more difficult for future governments to overturn these rules. In other words, without the Clarity Act, we could very well still be having the same discussions years from now.

Since at least last December, May 25, Memorial Day, has been viewed as the "deadline" for legislative progress. After entering summer, lawmakers will leave Washington to campaign, leaving little time for the crypto bill (or most other legislation). Before Congress recesses, the House still needs to consider a bill that provides funding for the Department of Homeland Security, while the Senate must decide whether Kevin Warsh will become the next Federal Reserve Chair.

The crypto industry is eager for the bill to pass. Over 100 organizations signed an open letter last week urging the Senate Banking Committee to hold a hearing on the bill, which would be the first step in the overall passage process. However, it is currently unclear how far the committee is from moving forward. The issue of stablecoin yields continues to dominate discussions, and other unresolved issues remain unaddressed at least in public.

Even if these issues are resolved, the House will still need to vote on the bill again. House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill stated earlier this month that many unresolved issues surrounding stablecoin and DeFi sales practices have been addressed in the House version of the bill, and the Senate should be able to find consensus.