Senate advances first-of-its-kind cryptocurrency legislation after Democrats initially blocked it amid Trump crypto deals

The Senate voted 66-32 Monday evening to advance first-of-its-kind legislation to regulate “stablecoins,” a kind of cryptocurrency. Democrats had initially voted to block the bill earlier this month amid concerns over President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency deals.

The Senate voted 66-32 Monday evening to advance first-of-its-kind legislation to regulate “stablecoins,” a kind of cryptocurrency. Democrats had initially voted to block the bill earlier this month amid concerns over President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency deals. The legislation, known as the GENIUS Act, is focused on what is known as stablecoin, a digital currency tied to the value of a specific asset – in this case the US dollar. The push for the bill represented a rare bipartisan effort in the Senate for major legislation. But while there has been general agreement across the Senate that regulation is necessary, key Democrats initially balked at moving ahead after demanding changes to the legislation. Republicans and Democrats had continued negotiating after the bill initially failed to advance, resulting in a new amendment draft over the weekend that garnered enough support among Democrats to move the package forward. However, the Democratic caucus remained divided in its support for the bill; while over a dozen Democrats voted with Republicans to advance it, senior Democratic leadership – including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Whip Dick Durbin – voted against invoking cloture. “Stablecoins are already playing an important role in the global economy, and it is essential that the U.S. enact legislation that protects consumers, while also enabling responsible innovations,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, one of the initial Democratic cosponsors of the bill, said in a statement on Friday. “The bipartisan GENIUS Act will provide regulatory clarity to this important industry, keep innovation on shore, add robust consumer protection, and reaffirm the dominance of the U.S. dollar,” Gillibrand continued.