U.S. lawmakers are pushing forward with a fresh attempt to bring clarity to crypto regulation, introducing a new legislative draft that could redefine how digital assets are governed.
The proposal, crafted by the House Financial Services and Agriculture Committees, outlines a blueprint to divide oversight between the SEC and CFTC while opening crypto markets to a broader range of participants.
Under the draft, the SEC would continue handling assets tied to profit rights—like investment contracts—while the CFTC would take charge of digital commodities and spot markets. This division is meant to resolve long-standing disputes over jurisdiction, with a tilt toward expanding the CFTC’s role until a project can prove it is truly decentralized.
The bill also offers a more specific framework for assessing decentralization and network maturity. If a token’s ecosystem operates independently of a controlling entity and meets transparency and utility benchmarks, it could shift regulatory oversight. Large token holders, meanwhile, would need to disclose their positions during the early, centralized phases of a project.
Retail access gets a boost in the proposal as well. Wealth tests and suitability standards, often seen as barriers, are set to be removed—paving the way for everyday investors to participate in early-stage crypto offerings. The bill also allows decentralized protocols to bypass certain regulatory hurdles, provided they don’t custody user funds or act as intermediaries.
On the exchange side, a clearer registration path with the CFTC is proposed, along with an optional early filing system for token issuers. While stablecoins are defined in the draft, they’re not classified as securities—though a separate Senate effort to regulate them has hit resistance, especially after concerns about Tether were raised by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Tax reform has also entered the conversation. Industry voices are calling for a de minimis exemption to eliminate capital gains tax on small crypto payments, a change that would treat digital currencies more like cash in everyday use. That push is gaining support as lawmakers prepare for upcoming discussions on broader digital asset regulation.
Source: https://coindoo.com/new-crypto-bill-seeks-to-redefine-oversight-and-expand-retail-access/