Author : Aleks Gilbert, DL News
The United States has experienced a revolution in crypto policy over the past year.
In less than a year into 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 made it easier for asset management firms to issue crypto-related ETFs.
Driven by Trump, lawmakers passed landmark stablecoin legislation and made significant progress in market structure legislation.
With these victories now a fait accompli, it’s natural to wonder whether 2026 will still be a pivotal year for crypto policy.
The short answer is: Yes.
So, without further ado, here are some key dates for US crypto policy in 2026.
January
January is destined to be a month packed with events.
First, White House crypto advisor David Sacks said the Senate is expected to hold hearings on the Market Structure Act in January.
Sacks wrote on X in December: “We are closer than ever to passing the landmark crypto market structure legislation that President Trump has called for. We look forward to getting this done in January!”
These hearings are expected to push the bill out of its stagnation in the Senate, after its version, the " Clarity Act ," passed the House of Representatives in July but stalled in the Senate.
Market structure legislation, originally expected to be passed in 2025, could transform the U.S. crypto industry.
It will end the regulatory battle between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
During the Biden administration, both agencies attempted to claim jurisdiction over the crypto market.
“If market structure legislation is passed in early 2026, the focus will shift to the implementation phase,” Summer Mersinger, CEO of the Blockchain Association, told DL News.
“We hope to obtain clear and enforceable rules from the SEC and CFTC, maintain ongoing coordination between agencies, and make targeted amendments in areas such as tax clarity to ensure that the United States continues to be a thriving center for crypto innovation.”
January is not expected to see only this one 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" under certain conditions, without having to comply with regulatory requirements that are "unsuitable or too burdensome."
Atkins stated on December 2nd that the innovation exemption is expected to be announced within a month. This means it could be released at any time.
May 15
Jerome Powell's term as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors will end on May 15.
Trump has criticized Powell for refusing to cut 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 discouraging high-risk assets, including cryptocurrencies.
A more dovish (loose) monetary policy could drive the crypto market up — but it could also reignite inflation, one of the issues that prompted Trump's return to the White House.
With “affordability” becoming a new key word in American politics, Trump’s choice of a new Federal Reserve chairman will not only affect cryptocurrency prices in 2026, but may also influence the presidential election in 2028.
Kevin Hassett, a longtime Trump ally, is currently considered the frontrunner for the position, with a projected 47% chance of being nominated.
July 1
New crypto regulations will take effect in California on July 1, 2026.
The state’s Digital Financial Assets Act requires any entity that conducts “digital financial asset business activities” with California residents to obtain a license from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, with certain exemptions.
California is home to many crypto entrepreneurs, and events in California often have an extraordinary impact on the entire U.S. tech industry.
July 18
Passing a bill will garner all the headlines, but the real battle begins when the regulatory bodies responsible for enforcing the law start interpreting the new legislation.
The Genius Act requires federal and state regulators to issue further supplemental regulations covering issuer licensing, capital requirements, custody standards, anti-money laundering provisions, and much more.
The deadline for the publication of these supplementary provisions is July 18, 2026.
The law firm Gibson Dunn wrote in July: "Market participants will have significant opportunities to engage in policy initiatives and the rule-making process."
This process has become highly controversial. The banking industry is asking regulators to close a “loophole” that allows stablecoin issuers to offer yield products, a feature that banks fear will weaken their deposit base.
The crypto industry is fighting back. In a letter to senators last week, the Blockchain Association stated that the proposals have the potential to undermine "carefully negotiated compromises, reduce consumer choice, stifle competition, and introduce uncertainty into the implementation of new laws."
August
By the end of August, we can expect two developments: the submission of crypto tax legislation and the finalization of CFTC regulations on the application of blockchain technology in capital markets.
Mersinger stated, "Besides market structure, crypto tax policy remains a top priority." She specifically mentioned Congressman Mike Carey's recent collaboration with the Treasury Department to address tax issues related to crypto staking.
On December 20, Republican Representative Max Miller from Ohio introduced a draft bill called the " Parity Act ." This bill aims to establish a small-value tax exemption threshold for stablecoins.
In other words, spending $5 on a latte, for example, will not trigger a tax event. The bill also attempts to prevent crypto lending from being treated as a taxable "sale of asset." There are more provisions to come.
Speaking at the Blockchain Association Policy Summit in December, Miller said he believes Congress is likely to pass some version of the bill "by August next year".
In August 2025, then-CFTC Chair Caroline Pham announced a 12-month “ Crypto Sprint ” focused 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 made progress on the first two tasks and expects the final task to be completed by August 2026.
November 3
The United States will hold midterm elections on November 3, and these elections could fundamentally change the outlook for U.S. crypto policy.
The president wields immense power, but he is not a "king" — the crypto industry's victory in 2025 is largely attributed to the Republican Party's narrow control of both houses of Congress.
If this situation changes in 2026, the crypto industry's "golden age" in Washington may come to an end.
Democrats have indeed become more friendly to the crypto industry. The House Market Structures Act received more Democratic votes in 2025 than in 2024, a shift that greatly encouraged many crypto lobbyists.
However, most Democratic lawmakers remain wary of this industry, which has a distinctly liberal orientation.
If the Democrats regain control of one or both houses of Congress, the likelihood of passing any crypto legislation will be significantly reduced.
Fireblocks' Director of Policy, Sea Markova, recently stated that if the market structure legislation is passed too close to the midterm elections, the "risk of the bill being shelved as a whole will increase significantly."
