Bitcoin Investors and Their Insights on the Genius, Clarity, and Anti-CBDC Acts
The U.S. House of Representatives has recently passed three significant pieces of legislation that are set to reshape the regulation of bitcoin and broader crypto assets in the United States. These bills, known as the GENIUS Act, the CLARITY Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, aim to provide regulatory clarity, consumer safeguards, and a framework for innovation.
The GENIUS Act
Signed into law by President Trump on July 18, 2025, the GENIUS Act establishes the first federal regulatory framework specifically for payment stablecoins. It sets requirements for issuers (banks and fintechs) on transparency, reserve backing with U.S. dollars or Treasury bills, and compliance with anti-money laundering rules. This law legitimizes stablecoins by creating a dual federal-state supervisory model aimed at integrating stablecoins into the mainstream financial system [1][3].
The CLARITY Act
The CLARITY Act addresses the longstanding uncertainty in how digital assets are classified as securities or commodities. It provides clear jurisdictional guidelines by shifting regulatory oversight predominantly from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This reduces overlap between agencies and is expected to clarify how bitcoin and other digital assets are regulated beyond stablecoins, easing enforcement ambiguity [2][4].
The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act
The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act bans the Federal Reserve from issuing a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) directly to consumers. This legislation reassures the crypto community by preventing a government digital currency that could compete with decentralized cryptocurrencies like bitcoin [2][3].
Together, these bills represent the most comprehensive U.S. crypto legislation to date. They provide regulatory clarity, consumer safeguards, and a framework for innovation by formally integrating stablecoins into regulated finance while resolving major jurisdictional uncertainties. While the GENIUS Act focuses on stablecoins, the CLARITY Act impacts bitcoin regulation broadly by defining its commodities status and regulatory body, and the Anti-CBDC Act protects decentralized options from forced competition by a government CBDC.
The full impact of these bills will depend on forthcoming regulatory implementations and Senate approval steps, particularly for the CLARITY Act, which is pending there [1][2][4].
Impact on Bitcoin
Increased movement or discussions around CBDCs may drive more people to bitcoin due to its proven record of privacy and global nature. The price of bitcoin has surged from approximately $70,000 to roughly $120,000 since President Donald Trump's election, suggesting a positive sentiment towards the cryptocurrency in the U.S.
In conclusion, these bills signal strong Congressional momentum toward clearer, more stable U.S. regulation of bitcoin and crypto assets, supporting industry growth while addressing privacy and oversight concerns [1][2][3][4].
- The GENIUS Act, approved by President Trump in 2025, constructs a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring transparency, reserve backing, and adherence to anti-money laundering rules to legitimize them within the mainstream financial system.
- The CLARITY Act, still under Senate consideration, aims to resolve lingering uncertainty by designating the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as the primary regulatory body for digital assets other than stablecoins, reducing potential overlaps between agencies.
- The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing retail central bank digital currencies directly to consumers, ensuring decentralized cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are protected from forced competition by a government CBDC.
- These federal bills collectively provide regulatory clarity, consumer safeguards, and a supportive framework for innovation, formally incorporating stablecoins into the regulated finance sector while clarifying the classification, regulatory body, and competition landscape for digital assets like bitcoin.
- The increased discourse around CBDCs and the positive sentiment towards bitcoin in the U.S., as evidenced by its price surge, could result in more individuals gravitating towards bitcoin for its privacy and global nature.
