A number of Democratic lawmakers in the US Senate are reportedly pushing for conflict-of-interest guardrails in a crypto market structure bill currently under consideration. According to a Thursday report, these measures would affect how US regulatory agencies and the government handle digital assets.
The lawmakers have advocated for provisions prohibiting public officials, including former US President Donald Trump, from profiting from any connections to crypto companies. “It is a red line,” Representative Ruben Gallego told Punchbowl regarding the ethics guardrails. “They need to get it right, or they’re not going to have enough votes to pass this.”
The market structure bill, which passed the US House of Representatives as the CLARITY Act, has been under Senate review since July. The ongoing debate includes discussions over potential conflicts of interest and decentralized finance (DeFi). The bill’s progress was also delayed by a 43-day government shutdown in October and November.
Drafts of the Responsible Financial Innovation Act (RFIA), made public by the Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee, reveal that the bill could grant the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) expanded authority to regulate digital assets.
Some experts speculate that the 2026 midterm elections could increase political support for the bill, especially among Democrats, as market structure and crypto regulation continue to gain prominence.
### Key Supporters and Upcoming Developments
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the bill’s earliest supporters and the lead advocate on the Senate Banking Committee, announced in December that she will not seek reelection in 2026. She is set to leave the Senate in January 2027.
This week, Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott indicated that the committee would hold a markup on the RFIA on Thursday. However, as of the time of publication, no such markup event was listed on the public calendars for either the Senate Banking Committee or the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The evolving conversation around crypto regulation underscores the importance of ethical considerations and effective oversight as lawmakers work to shape the future of digital asset governance in the United States.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/us-lawmakers-demand-ethics-safeguards-for-market-structure-bill-report/