Stay connected with BizTech Community—follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and reviews delivered straight to you.
The U.S. House of Representatives enacted three important cryptocurrency measures on July 17, 2025, during a week-long session called “Crypto Week.” This was a big deal for the digital asset market.
The Digital Asset Market Structure Clarity (CLARITY) Act, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act were all passed with different levels of bipartisan support.
This shows that the U.S. is changing the way it regulates digital assets. President Donald Trump pushed for these bills as part of his pro-crypto agenda.
When they passed, the crypto market reacted right away, with Bitcoin getting close to its all-time high and altcoins making big gains. This article talks about what these legislation say, how they got through Congress, and what they mean for investors, institutions, and the global crypto economy as a whole.
A Breakdown of the Three Crypto Bills
1. The Digital Asset Market Structure Clarity (CLARITY) Act
The CLARITY Act is likely to have the biggest effect on the crypto business, as it passed with 294 votes in favor and 134 against.
This law makes it plain how to legally designate digital assets as either commodities, which are monitored by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), or securities, which are overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The CFTC and SEC have overlapping jurisdictions, which has caused regulatory ambiguity in the industry for years. This has led to enforcement actions and litigation challenges, like the ones Ripple and Coinbase are dealing with. The CLARITY Act solves this problem by setting rules on how to categorize tokens. For example, tokens that are totally decentralized and used for utility purposes would be treated as commodities by the CFTC, while tokens that are used for investment and have profit-sharing features will be treated as securities by the SEC.
This clarification should make it easier for crypto exchanges, brokers, and token issuers to follow the rules. This will encourage new ventures to set up shop in the U.S. and promote innovation.
The CLARITY Act intends to protect investors and make the regulations clearer for the industry by forcing platforms to register with the CFTC and follow standards about transparency, asset segregation, and transaction reporting.
The bill passed with the support of 78 Democrats and Republicans. It will now go to the Senate for more discussion, which shows that there is substantial support for comprehensive crypto regulation.
2. The U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS) to Lead and Set National Innovation
The GENIUS Act, which passed by a vote of 308 to 122, sets up the first federal rules for stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies that are tied to assets like the U.S. dollar to keep their value stable.
The bill has already cleared the Senate and is now going to President Trump’s desk to be signed. This will make it the first crypto law in the U.S. The GENIUS Act says that stablecoin issuers must keep reserves that are equal to the amount of stablecoins they issue.
These reserves must be backed by safe, liquid assets like cash or U.S. Treasury securities. It also lets banks develop their own stablecoins, which means that traditional banks can start using digital assets in their businesses.
The law has strong anti-money laundering (AML) and transparency rules that are meant to increase trust in stablecoins like USDT and USDC.
Experts in the field, like Nic Puckrin from The Coin Bureau, say that the GENIUS Act may make the U.S. a global leader in stablecoin innovation. This would strengthen the dollar’s dominance in digital finance, since 99% of stablecoins are pegged to the dollar.
The GENIUS Act could make stablecoins a popular way to pay for things online and in stores, speeding up the process of integrating cryptocurrencies into everyday life. This could happen if big companies like Amazon or Walmart start using them.
3. The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act
The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which passed by a narrow 219-210 vote, shows that people are really worried about their financial privacy. This bill makes it clear that the Federal Reserve can’t create or issue a retail Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) because of the hazards of government surveillance through full access to digital transaction data.
A CBDC would be a government-backed digital dollar, unlike stablecoins, which are created by private companies. This makes conservatives worry that the government would overreach into people’s and businesses’ money.
The bill raises privacy issues to the national level, building on state-level limits and agreeing with Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who said that the American people should have control over digital currency legislation instead of the “administrative state.”
There was a lot of opposition to the plan, and just two Democrats voted for it, showing how divided the parties are. Some Republicans also held it up, saying they wanted stricter anti-CBDC rules.
Including CBDC limits in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was a compromise that made sure it moved forward even though there was some initial resistance. The close vote shows how heated the CBDC arguments are. Critics say that these kinds of currencies could hurt the privacy and decentralization that make cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin unique.
Market Effect: A Bull Run in Crypto
The announcement quickly affected the market, as Bitcoin rose about 2% to $120,200 in 24 hours, getting close to its all-time high of $123,000 recorded on July 14, 2025. Ether (ETH) shot up 7% to over $3,600, a level it hasn’t been at since January 2025.
XRP, on the other hand, saw the biggest daily increase of any major cryptocurrency, going up 18% to $3.50. The total value of all cryptocurrencies in the world went up 3% to $3.92 trillion.
Other altcoins, such as Dogecoin (DOGE) (+7%), Cardano (ADA) (+12%), Chainlink (LINK) (+12%), Hedera (HBAR) (+22%), and Uniswap (UNI) (+11%), also went up.
This rise shows that investors are more confident in a U.S. crypto market that is more regulated and predictable. This is because to institutional investments in Bitcoin spot ETFs, which saw over $1 billion in investments last week.
Wider Effects on the Crypto Ecosystem
The passing of these bills will bring about a big change in the U.S. crypto business. The CLARITY Act’s clear rules are expected to bring in new projects and investments by putting an end to long-standing disagreements between the SEC and CFTC over who has the power to regulate.
The GENIUS Act’s foundation for stablecoins might help them become popular, making it easier for people to make payments across borders and giving everyone access to financial services, especially in developing countries.
The Anti-CBDC Act, on the other hand, shows that the U.S. is still committed to decentralized finance. This goes along with the privacy values of crypto enthusiasts and could make people want to buy Bitcoin as a way to protect themselves against centralized digital currencies.
These changes make the U.S. a competitive player in regulating digital assets around the world. It is now on par with places like the EU, which put its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) law into effect in 2024, and Hong Kong, which passed its Stablecoin Bill in December 2024.
Senator Jeff Merkley and others, on the other hand, say that the GENIUS Act doesn’t have enough safeguards to stop corruption or favoritism.
They also say that the CLARITY Act would make enforcement harder by letting too many groups issue stablecoins. People regard the measures as a step toward making crypto more legitimate, even though they are worried about them. This could lead to a less strict approach to regulation that was challenged by former SEC Chair Gary Gensler.
