How market structure voting could impact crypto voters in 2026

With the end of the longest U.S. government shutdown in the country’s history, some lawmakers are turning their attention to passing a digital asset market structure bill that could be a decisive issue for many voters in the 2026 midterm elections.

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee have released consideration drafts of their respective versions of market structure legislation, building on the CLARITY Act passed by the House of Representatives in July. The current Congress runs through January 2027, but with the holiday season in full swing and midterm election campaigning underway, lawmakers may have limited time to pass the bill, known as the Responsible Finance Innovation Act.

“Even in 2026, market structure is still everyone’s top priority,” Stand With Crypto Community Director Mason Reinaud told Cointelegraph, adding:

“Market structure remains the shining goal that we have been trying to achieve and that is 100% the most important thing going into 2026. It will matter who votes for it and who votes against it (…)”

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, the Republican leader on the Senate Banking Committee, said in August that the bill would pass both the Banking and Agriculture committees by November and become law by 2026. But that schedule could change due to the government shutdown and opposition from several Democrats.

Related: SEC Chairman Pledges No ‘Long Enforcement’ of Cryptocurrencies Under Market Structure

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who serves on the Banking Committee, reportedly said lawmakers should act on passing a cryptocurrency bill “by January, early February,” citing concerns about the midterm elections. Tillis said the upcoming federal election could hinder progress on the cryptocurrency bill.

Crypto industry involved in current and future elections

Just as in 2024, crypto industry-backed political action committees and advocacy groups like Stand With Crypto could influence how Americans vote in 2026 by endorsing candidates who publicly support pro-crypto policies and laws.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate will be up for grabs in 2026. Last year, Stand With Crypto reported that 274 candidates deemed “pro-crypto” based on public statements or voting records were elected or re-elected, giving them a significant share of Congress.

U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey gubernatorial election held on November 4th as the Democratic candidate with a margin of approximately 450,000 votes. More than half of a group of 1,000 New Jersey voters said they were likely to vote for a candidate who supported pro-crypto policies, according to a Stand With Crypto poll conducted in June, about five months before the election.

“The big thing about[Sheryl]is that she voted in favor of the crypto bill that passed the House this year,” Reinault said, referring to Stand With Crypto’s system that ranks candidates by their positions on digital assets. Mr. Sherrill voted in favor of the market structure and GENIUS stablecoin bills in the House of Representatives.

It remains to be seen whether crypto voters heading to the polls in November 2026 will take into account lawmakers’ record on market structure. As of Monday, neither the Senate Banking Committee nor the Agriculture Committee had scheduled votes to consider the legislation needed to lay the groundwork for a floor vote.

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