Overview
- Lawmakers postponed the Responsible Financial Innovation Act markup to January, a delay that observers warn could push the effort past the 2026 midterms.
- Venture investor Scott Johnsson cautioned that Democrats may slow-walk negotiations into late Q1 or beyond, framing a potential strategic delay.
- Coinbase executives joined a Dec. 17 bipartisan briefing with the Senate Banking Committee that attendees described as cautiously optimistic on progress.
- Key disputes include DeFi oversight, limits on stablecoin rewards, and ethics concerns tied to President Donald Trump’s family interests, with Citadel Securities favoring tighter DeFi rules and banks opposing stablecoin yields.
- The Senate’s RFIA must align with the House CLARITY Act, and betting platform Kalshi showed a 77% chance the package becomes law before 2027, as a Bloomberg ETF analyst cited plans for the banking lobby to spend over $100 million to support pro-bank candidates.