- Democrats have reportedly accepted many critical areas of the Republicans’ Responsible Financial Innovation Act draft, but insist on five critical areas that pertain to the ongoing market structure bill.
- The Democrats would not compromise on several areas, such as ethics, illicit finance, token classification, and stablecoin yield restrictions codified in the GENIUS Act.
Major updates from intimate sources suggest that Democrats and their Republican counterparts have agreed on major provisions of the market structure bill that is still being strung together. Senator Cynthia Lummis, Chair of the Senate Banking Digital Asset Subcommittee, already confirmed these developments; however, Democrats insist on some key requirements, which could delay consensus.
Inter-Party Alignment Increases For the Market Structure Bill Amid Unflinching Democratic Demands
Democratic negotiators on the market structure bill have accepted “significant portions” of Senate Banking Republicans’ Responsible Financial Innovation Act, which are expected to be part of the broader digital asset market structure legislation.
Among the major requirements causing the legislative gridlock is the closure of terrorist and illicit finance loopholes. To eliminate the use of digital assets to manipulate illicit finance protections, Democrats are asking for a ban on digital asset services used by known malicious actors like North Korea from the US financial ecosystem.
They also demand “risk-based tools” for regulators to scrutinize platforms that allow money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions evasion. Additionally, Democrats request the expansion of current anti-money laundering rules to cater to “emerging digital asset transfer risks,” while maintaining privacy standards and due process.
‘Block Elected Officials From Unlawful Digital Asset Gains,’ Democrats Insist
On ethics, the Democratic Working Group wants market structure legislation to block elected officials from abusing their offices by enriching themselves with digital asset projects. “Such actions,” said the lawmakers, “erode public trust in our democracy and undermine confidence in the digital asset industry.”
Consequently, they look to prevent public office holders and their families from “issuing, endorsing, or profiting from digital assets” while serving. In addition, they push for legislative requirements providing a framework for reporting digital assets in official financial disclosures.
Bipartisan Agency Representation & Full Genius Act Implementation
The need to ensure fair and effective regulation also highlights one of the Democrats’ biggest concerns. They allege that President Trump had fired a lot of Democratic Commissioners in the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which violates the Congressional establishment of bipartisan representation.
The liberals call for full party representation at the agencies in order to allow balanced, long-term implementation of digital asset rules that encourage innovation.
As agreed by both parties during the negotiations of the GENIUS Act—the first comprehensive stablecoin legislation—Democrats call for the market structure bill to block intermediaries and affiliates from offering and issuing yields on stablecoins, as has been codified for stablecoin issuers.
Similar to Wall Street, they argue that payment of yields or interest on stablecoins could considerably pull deposits from the banking system, particularly community banks that serve the grassroots. Insiders have described the above demands as the tempered version, citing that Democrats have a confidential list of more aggressive demands.
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