Democratic opposition threatens GENIUS Act, jeopardizing 2025 crypto agenda – Galaxy

The Senate GENIUS Act bill, designed to establish federal rules for stablecoins, is facing resistance from key Democrats, jeopardizing the prospects for broader crypto legislation in 2025. 

The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act) advanced from the Senate Banking Committee in March with bipartisan support.

However, nine Senate Democrats announced they would oppose cloture without implementing recently required changes, hindering the legislation’s advancement.

According to a report published by Galaxy Digital and shared by head of research Alex Thorn, failure to pass the GENIUS Act could set back all remaining crypto legislation under consideration in 2025.

The bill had been viewed as a foundational component of the broader regulatory agenda, offering a template for consumer protections, institutional participation, and cross-border compliance.

The legislation’s demise could leave stablecoin issuers operating without uniform standards and continue the regulatory uncertainty that has constrained US adoption of digital dollar instruments. 

It would also stall proposals to integrate blockchain-based payment rails with traditional finance infrastructure.

Democratic pushback

Despite bipartisan momentum, nine Democratic Senators, including five Banking Committee members who had initially supported the bill, released a joint statement on May 3 outlining five unresolved areas: anti-money laundering, foreign issuer limitations, national security protections, financial system safety, and enforcement mechanisms. 

Updated provisions in the May 1 draft attempt to respond to those concerns. These include expanded anti-money laundering obligations, a national security waiver mechanism, enhanced oversight of foreign issuers, and penalties of up to $1 million per day for violations.

The Senators warned that they would not support advancing the legislation to the Senate floor without enhancements addressing these issues.

The bill also empowers the Treasury Department to designate compliant foreign jurisdictions and revoke their status with a 90-day transition window.

Structure of oversight and issuer obligations

Under the GENIUS Act, issuers must maintain full, high-quality liquid reserves, typically US Treasuries or insured deposits, backed 1:1 against liabilities. 

They are prohibited from offering yield-bearing products and must comply with customer verification, suspicious activity monitoring, and AML program requirements. 

Issuers are also subject to federal or federally certified state oversight, depending on their issuance scale. The threshold for federal regulation is the issuance of more than $10 billion in stablecoins.

The bill designates primary federal regulators for the sector, including the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration. 

At the same time, the legislation authorizes the Treasury to coordinate interoperability and foreign frameworks. The bill further prohibits non-permitted issuers from entering the US market after a three-year grace period.

While sponsors remain engaged in negotiations, the impasse reveals the difficulty of reconciling innovation policy with national security and financial stability objectives. 

Passage of the GENIUS Act now depends on whether revisions can sufficiently address Democratic objections without unraveling bipartisan support secured during committee markup.

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