Crypto Legislation Moves Forward Amid GOP Infighting Over CBDC Ban

Tensions flared on Capitol Hill Wednesday as the House attempted to revive stalled cryptocurrency legislation following a dramatic GOP rebellion the day prior.

Conservative hard-liners, who had derailed efforts to advance three key crypto bills on Tuesday, returned to the table after a late-night meeting with President Donald Trump and a Wednesday negotiation with Republican leaders. The breakthrough allowed the House to move forward with a procedural vote — but the compromise has sparked new controversy.

At the heart of the dispute is a deal to merge the market-structure-focused CLARITY Act with a separate bill banning the creation of a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC). While the merger won over hard-liners, it drew sharp opposition from the Financial Services and Agriculture Committees, which argue that combining the measures could sink both efforts.

Speaker Mike Johnson is now in closed-door talks with committee chairs and conservative members in his ceremonial office, trying to find a path forward. According to sources inside the meeting, committee leaders prefer attaching the CBDC ban to a separate, must-pass bill — such as the defense authorization package or surveillance powers renewal — rather than jeopardizing the core crypto framework.

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Over a dozen Republican lawmakers, including Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.), had not voted on the rule as of late afternoon.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise confirmed the plan to consolidate the bills post-vote, with the Rules Committee set to meet at 4 p.m. to begin the process.

Kosta Gushterov

Kosta has been working in the crypto industry for over 4 years. He strives to present different perspectives on a given topic and enjoys the sector for its transparency and dynamism. In his work, he focuses on balanced coverage of events and developments in the crypto space, providing information to his readers from a neutral perspective.