US lawmakers and regulators are set to resume discussions on cryptocurrency market structure this week after severe winter weather disrupted federal timelines, with both Congress and regulators now aiming to Thursday January 29to follow events closely.
He US Senate Agriculture Committee confirmed that it will hold a marking hearing in 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The meeting will review and amend its latest draft of a bill on the structure of the digital asset market, commonly known as the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Law.
The committee oversees commodity markets and the Commodity Futures Trading Commissionplacing it at the center of ongoing debates over cryptocurrency oversight and regulatory jurisdiction.
Marking date and harmonization established
The margin was expected earlier in the week. However, it was postponed due to winter storms that affected parts of the United States and disrupted travel and Senate operations.
A markup is a procedural step in the legislative process that allows committee members to debate, amend and vote on whether to advance a bill out of committee.
While passage is not guaranteed, a successful markup would move the legislation closer to full Senate consideration.
Regulatory coordination is also on the agenda on the same day. He US Securities and Exchange Commission saying its next “harmonization” event with the CFTC has been rescheduled for 2:00 pm ET Thursday.
The SEC did not provide details of the agenda and described the session as focused on interagency coordination.
While the two events are not formally linked, their timing highlights parallel activity in the legislative and regulatory branches as US authorities continue to grapple with the structure of the crypto market following years of law enforcement-based oversight and jurisdictional disputes.
The amendments could reshape the scope of the bill.
Before the marking, senators presented a series of first-degree amendments. the amendments would expand the bill far beyond its original goal of establishing a CFTC-led framework for digital spot commodity markets.
Several proposals from Senator Michael Bennet would add a new “Digital Asset Ethics Law.”
This will prohibit senior federal officials, including the president, vice president, and members of Congress, from issuing, endorsing, or holding digital assets, including indirect exposure through exchange-traded funds or derivatives.
Source: US Agricultural Committee
Other amendments focus on consumer protection and systemic risk. Senator Dick Durbin’s measures would prohibit federal agencies from providing emergency financial assistance to digital asset brokers, explicitly blocking access to the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending facilities.
A separate Durbin proposal would establish a new CFTC regulatory regime for crypto kiosks and ATMs, imposing registration, disclosure and fraud prevention requirements.
National security provisions also feature prominently. Sens. Amendments
Jerry Moran and Tommy Tuberville would restrict or prohibit the registration of digital product platforms that maintain critical infrastructure, substantial operations, or majority ownership ties in designated foreign adverse jurisdictions, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
At the same time, some proposals seek to reduce regulatory scope. A Tuberville amendment would clarify that digital commodity brokers and traders are subject to CFTC requirements only for activities directly related to their registered functions.
Separately, an amendment co-sponsored by Senators Roger Marshall and Durbin would prohibit large credit card issuers and payment networks from enforcing network exclusivity, a non-cryptocurrency measure that could test the bill’s reach.
Final thoughts
- Thursday’s markup will determine whether the bill remains narrowly focused on market structure or expands to ethics, security and payments policy.
- Any regulatory impact will depend on amendment votes and official statements, rather than scheduling alone.
