Key Takeaways
After intense negotiations, House Republicans advanced key crypto bills by separating the CBDC ban into a defense package, with President Trump’s approval.
Just when the crypto industry was reeling from a disheartening crypto week in Washington, a surprising political pivot has reignited hope.
According to Politico, less than 24 hours after conservative Republicans derailed efforts to push forward key crypto-related bills, a sudden reversal.
It was sparked by a late-night meeting with President Donald Trump and eleventh-hour negotiations, has brought fresh momentum.
A ray of hope
The U.S. House has now taken a critical first step toward advancing legislation, though the decision to merge the CLARITY Act with an anti-CBDC bill is already stirring internal tensions on Capitol Hill.
Speaker Mike Johnson is now working behind the scenes with Republican committee chairs and conservative dissenters to salvage momentum around the crypto legislation.
Now, to avoid a collapse, negotiators are exploring alternative routes, possibly moving the CBDC provision into other must-pass legislation, like the annual defense bill or the reauthorization of surveillance powers.
Meanwhile, over a dozen GOP lawmakers, including Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson and Financial Services Chair French Hill, have yet to vote on the procedural rule.
What led to the shift in mindset?
However, not everything is so pessimistic.
Following extended closed-door negotiations, the House on 16th July passed three cryptocurrency-related bills and the 2026 defense budget in a tight 217–212 vote.
The breakthrough came after GOP hard-liners dropped their opposition, ending a tense standoff with committee leaders who crafted the legislation.
Remarking on the same, in a separate news update, Politico noted that the rebels had pushed to merge the bipartisan CLARITY Act with a separate bill banning a CBDC.
This move was opposed by Financial Services Chair French Hill and Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson over fears it would kill Democratic support.
An agreement was ultimately reached, with GOP leaders deciding to link the CBDC prohibition to a standalone defense authorization measure.
President Trump was briefed on the last-minute agreement and gave it his approval, according to two sources present during the discussion.
And, as expected, “he’s happy with it,” one person confirmed.
Remarking on the same, House Speaker Johnson hailed the breakthrough, saying,
“This breaks the logjam, allows us to get our work done.”
What’s more?
Johnson also spoke with Senate Republican Leader John Thune about incorporating the CBDC ban into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), according to individuals familiar with the conversation.
With the procedural vote now behind them, the House is set to move forward on the crypto bills in the coming days.
Speaker Johnson signaled that the House is likely to vote on the Senate-backed GENIUS Act, which centers on stablecoin oversight, as early as the 17th of July.
If passed, it would mark the first major crypto legislation to reach President Trump’s desk, a significant win for the industry.
The cleared procedural path will also enable swift action on an amended package of spending rescissions requested by Trump.
Now, as the House settles its crypto standoff, the Senate continues pushing to pass the rescissions package ahead of the deadline on the 18th of July.
