On Tuesday, a group of Senate Democrats unveiled a set of key principles aimed at shaping future legislation to regulate the cryptocurrency space under the anticipated market structure bill. Spearheaded by Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Warner, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker, this framework seeks to address the pressing issues surrounding market structure and regulatory clarity. New Regulatory Roadmap The senators described their proposal as a “substantive road map” designed to facilitate effective bipartisan negotiations . They emphasized that achieving a new regulatory framework would require time and collaboration with their Republican counterparts. This initiative comes in the wake of Senate Republicans releasing their own discussion draft in July, which was updated just last week. However, that proposal has yet to gain any traction with Democratic senators. Central to the Democrats’ framework is that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) can be granted exclusive jurisdiction over non-security cryptocurrency markets. Additionally, the senators suggest that regulatory bodies provide clear guidance on how existing securities laws apply to digital assets. The senators pointed out that uncertainty regarding digital assets’ regulatory status has created obstacles for new businesses attempting to navigate the existing financial rulebook. They noted that the rapid growth of digital assets has exposed significant gaps in current regulations, leaving investors vulnerable to scams and fraud due to insufficient safeguards. Democratic Push For Crypto Restrictions To address these concerns, the framework advocates for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to incorporate digital assets and their platforms into the current regulatory framework. It calls for the establishment of an effective oversight regime for decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and platforms. Furthermore, the proposal suggests that digital asset platforms should be registered as financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act, which would impose rigorous record-keeping and reporting requirements aimed at combating money laundering. While many of the principles outlined by the Democrats align with those previously suggested by Republicans, certain aspects of the proposal, particularly those concerning President Trump and his family’s involvement in the crypto industry, may encounter resistance. Throughout the year, the Trump family has significantly increased its exposure to cryptocurrency through the launch of the official TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins , the DeFi platform World Liberty (WLFI), and the mining venture American Bitcoin (ABTC). As a result, the Democrats seek to prohibit elected officials and their family members from issuing, endorsing, or profiting from digital assets, as well as establish reporting requirements for crypto holdings. Moreover, the framework emphasizes the need for bipartisan cooperation at the SEC and CFTC, advocating that commissioners from both parties must participate in digital asset rulemakings to ensure balanced governance. The senators asserted that a bipartisan regulatory process is essential for creating enduring and effective rules that will foster stability and legitimacy in the digital asset markets. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
