US Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins is confident that a 
long-awaited crypto market structure bill could find its way into US President 
Donald Trump&#8217;s office for signature before the end of the year. The SEC chief 
highlighted ongoing efforts during an interview with Fox Business to clarify 
rules around digital asset trading and said the bill could provide much-needed 
guidance to investors and trading platforms. Related Reading: Crypto Products 
Post $454M Weekly Outflows On Fed Jitters Atkins Expresses Confidence Atkins, 
who was confirmed by the Senate in April 2025 in a 52-44 vote, said 
tokenization and faster settlement systems are part of the next phase for US 
markets. He argued that a market structure law would give firms and investors 
clearer signals about which rules apply to trading in digital assets. Reports 
have disclosed that the chair sees the bill as fitting the administration’s 
push to make the US more competitive in crypto. This is a big week for crypto 
– Congress is on the cusp of upgrading our financial markets for the 21st 
century. I am wholly supportive of Congress providing clarity on the 
jurisdictional split between the SEC and the @CFTC. pic.twitter.com/NtDWRW85kL 
— Paul Atkins (@SECPaulSAtkins) January 12, 2026 Atkins discussed the 
regulatory forecast for crypto this year during an interview with Fox 
Business. Source: Paul Atkins Lawmakers’ Calendar And Odds Based on reports 
from financial analysts, the path to passage is not guaranteed. One market 
note put the chance of the bill clearing Congress in 2026 at roughly 50-60%, 
and warned that delays could push final action into 2027. Other analysts have 
suggested a longer road, saying implementation of final market structure rules 
might not be settled for years if political dynamics change. What Is Being 
Negotiated The draft measures under discussion aim to define which federal 
agency supervises different types of digital instruments, establish standards 
for trading venues that list tokens, and create clearer reporting rules for 
market participants. Reports have disclosed that committee markups are 
expected before any Senate floor vote, and those sessions will shape the 
bill’s final text. Industry Reaction, Market Talk The optimism expressed by 
Atkins has been welcomed by industry associations, as they see that clear 
guidance could lead to more institutional capital flowing into the onshore 
crypto trading space. On the other hand, the sentiment from many companies is 
that there is still a level of caution surrounding future regulations. 
Although regulators continue to show a level of agreement regarding overall 
regulation, the details of custody, custody provider(s), and oversight split 
between various regulatory agencies must be agreed upon by Congress before any 
definitive progress can be made. This back-and-forth between Congress and 
regulatory agencies has caused the markets to react in a pattern of quick 
positive movements followed by corresponding negative movements due to 
legislative inaction. Related Reading: CZ Fuels Optimism As Binance Coin’s 
$1,000 Target Trends Political Timing Could Matter The midterm and committee 
calendars are being watched closely. If the Senate delays key votes, support 
that exists now could wane or be reshaped by other priorities. Some 
commentators argue that fast action would lock in regulatory clarity; others 
say a rushed law could leave gaps that require later fixes. The debate over 
speed versus detail is active in Washington. Featured image from Gemini, chart 
from TradingView

Crypto Market Structure Bill Poised For A Trump Signature, SEC Chief Says

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