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Tim Alper

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Tim Alper

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Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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August 25, 2025

Crypto advocates, IT experts, and media outlets are concerned that lawmakers’ deliberations on South Korea’s stablecoin legislation have “slowed to a standstill.”

The South Korean newspaper Busan Ilbo reported that all four stablecoin-related draft laws submitted to the National Assembly in recent months are currently stuck in the committee stage.

S Korea’s Stablecoin Legislation: Stuck in Committee

The bills’ delay, the newspaper wrote, is due to the fact that regulators and lawmakers cannot agree on key terms. Busan Ilbo wrote:

“Discussions on institutionalizing stablecoins in South Korea are stuck at a standstill. This stems from persistent disagreements between the National Assembly, the government, and the Bank of Korea (BOK).”

The outlet noted that the parties cannot agree on the question of whether they should let fintech and IT firms issue coins.

More conservative voices at the BOK and in the government want to restrict issuance to domestic commercial banks.

The question of whether or not to let fintech firms issue KRW-pegged coins is extremely sensitive in South Korea.

The country’s business space is dominated by large conglomerates known as chaebol. All of these firms have advanced finance and tech subsidiaries.

In recent years, internet giants such as Naver and Kakao have also moved into the space. The BOK and others fear that letting firms issue KRW-pegged coins will lead to the rise of big tech-controlled “private currencies.”

Historically, chaebol have wielded enormous political and financial influence in South Korea. The BOK is concerned that surrendering its monopoly on currency issuance to these firms (or new tech giants like Naver) will erode its power.

Conversely, the BOK exercises considerable regulatory powers over the commercial banking space. As such, it seems ready to dig its heels in on the matter.

Equity Requirements

The four bills all feature varying requirements for stablecoin issuers. The most progressive of the quartet proposes ensuring issuers have a minimum of 500 million won ($360,026) in equity capital.

This bill would essentially open the door to startups that wish to start issuing KRW-pegged stablecoins.

But the most conservative of the bills states that only firms with a minimum of 5 billion won ($3.6 million) in equity capital can enter the market.

Busan Ilbo wrote that the review process has been divided between two of the National Assembly’s committees, namely the Political Affairs Committee and the Strategy and Finance Committee.

This split is “hindering progress,” the outlet remarked. A senior official at a South Korean blockchain industry firm, speaking to Cryptonews.com on condition of anonymity, said:

“This delay is very frustrating. The government should make up its mind quickly, either way. Our rivals in other countries aren’t being left in limbo like us.”

Playing Catchup with Washington

South Korean critics have pointed to progress on stablecoins in Germany, China, and Japan, as well as the US.

The Japanese Financial Services Agency is reportedly set to authorize the Tokyo-based fintech company JYPC’s bid to issue the nation’s first yen-pegged stablecoin.

Experts in Seoul think that Berlin, Tokyo, and Beijing are all acting in response to events in Washington; keen to avoid a “unipolar” drift toward the US dollar.

US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law in July this year. The act sets out a range of regulatory requirements for would-be stablecoin issuers.

Last week, the President of the USD Coin (USDC) issuer Circle Heath Tarbert held a stablecoin-themed meeting with the BOK Governor Rhee Chang-yong.

Tarbert also met with some of South Korea’s top bankers. The Circle chief spoke to top executives from financial behemoths like Kookmin, Woori, and Shinhan.

A Philippine lawmaker has introduced a measure that would require the central bank to build a strategic Bitcoin reserve, marking one of the most ambitious crypto policy proposals in Southeast Asia.

Representative Migz Villafuerte filed the “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act” in June, calling for the country’s central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), to purchase 2,000 Bitcoin (BTC) annually over five years.

At current prices, the plan would cost more than $1.1 billion and establish a 10,000 BTC reserve locked in trust for at least two decades.

Bid for financial security

The proposal outlines a “Bitcoin Purchase Program” that would make the BSP a long-term holder of the digital asset. The reserve would be barred from being sold or transferred except in cases of retiring government debt.

Villafuerte described Bitcoin as a modern strategic asset that could diversify the nation’s balance sheet and enhance financial security, likening it to digital gold.

The measure would also require the central bank to introduce a proof-of-reserves system, with quarterly public disclosures detailing holdings, transactions, and custody arrangements.

Global context

If enacted, the Philippines could surpass El Salvador’s 6,276 Bitcoin holdings and rival Bhutan, which owns about 10,565 coins.

El Salvador has led global adoption since declaring Bitcoin legal tender in 2021, while Bhutan’s sovereign investment arm has quietly accumulated large reserves.

At current levels near $116,850 per coin, the Philippines’ proposed reserve would represent a substantial sovereign commitment to Bitcoin, positioning the country among the world’s largest state-level holders.

The bill faces congressional debate in the months ahead as policymakers weigh the risks and potential benefits of tying a portion of the nation’s financial future to the volatile crypto market.

The House is considering a proposal that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to examine how distributed ledger technology, such as blockchain, can enhance the agency’s claims systems. 

The “Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2025” (H.R. 3455), introduced May 15 by Rep. Nancy Mace, passed its first checkpoint with a June 11 hearing before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. 

The measure now waits for a vote by the full chamber.

The bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a comprehensive study on whether distributed ledgers can enhance the transparency, traceability, and resistance to fraud, waste, and abuse of benefits adjudication. 

Lawmakers frame the effort as a response to persistent complaints about slow, opaque processing and data errors that can delay or misdirect payments owed to veterans.

Immutable records

Under the text, the VA must explore how a distributed ledger could securely log each step in a claim, verify information to weed out false filings, and flag irregularities in benefit delivery.

The department would need to consult technologists, veterans’ service organizations, and other federal agencies that are already experimenting with distributed ledgers. 

Within a year of enactment, the Secretary would report back to Congress with findings on the feasibility, benefits, and risks, along with recommendations for pilot programs and any statutory or administrative changes necessary to deploy the technology.

The bill also spells out what it means by a distributed ledger. By codifying the definition, lawmakers aim to avoid confusion over whether the VA could satisfy the mandate with a conventional database dressed up in new terminology.

If the House approves the measure, it would move to the Senate for consideration. 

Notably, the veteran-related proposal now sits alongside other bills, such as the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, authored by Rep. Tom Emmer, and the Deploying American Blockchains Act, introduced by Rep. Bernie Moreno.

Mentioned in this article

Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, revealed it has amassed roughly $2 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC) and related digital assets, expanding on an investment strategy disclosed earlier this year.

The company’s July 21 filing comes days after the U.S. House of Representatives advanced a trio of crypto bills, including a stablecoin framework signed into law by President Donald Trump.

The media firm said it began acquiring Bitcoin using proceeds from $2.5 billion in recent fundraising, including $1.5 billion in equity sales and $1 billion in bond offerings.

The disclosure signals a more assertive approach by Trump-aligned businesses in capitalizing on favorable crypto policy momentum. The firm stated that it may continue purchasing Bitcoin and similar assets depending on broader market conditions.

The announcement followed what Republicans dubbed “crypto week” in Congress. While the new law establishes rules for U.S. dollar-pegged digital tokens, additional proposals covering crypto trading infrastructure and central bank-issued digital currencies await Senate review.

Bitcoin briefly traded above $123,000 earlier in the week before retreating to about $116,600 as of press time. The token’s recent rally has been accompanied by increased activity in digital assets tied to Trump’s personal brand.

World Liberty Financial, a stablecoin platform with connections to the Trump family, saw its governance token WLFI more than double in value over the past week following a vote enabling secondary market trading.

Trump issued the landmark executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, a federal stockpile of digital assets, in March.

While early analysis suggested the reserve might consist of crypto seized by law enforcement, recent statements from senior officials have hinted at broader approaches, including monetizing dormant government-held assets.

With legislative backing and market signals aligning, the media firm’s Bitcoin bet reflects a broader push from Trump-linked entities to position themselves at the forefront of the digital asset economy.

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The US House of Representatives has advanced a new bipartisan crypto legislation to promote Blockchain adoption in different areas and boost the nation’s competitiveness with federal support.

Blockchain Promotion Bill Passes US House

On Thursday, policy tracking platform Bitcoin Laws reported that the US House of Representatives passed a bill directing the US Secretary of Commerce to lead the national efforts to promote the competitiveness of the United States and the adoption of blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies (DLT).

In February, Republican Representative Kat Cammack introduced HR 1664, also known as the Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025, to establish a Blockchain Deployment Program, aiming to develop best practices and explore the adoption of blockchain in multiple areas.

Excerpt of the Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025. Source: Congress.gov

According to the bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Representative Darren Soto, the Secretary would be required to serve as the President’s principal advisor for the deployment, use, application, and competitiveness of blockchain and other DLT, and take the actions necessary and appropriate to support the US leadership in this sector.

These activities include developing policies and recommendations on blockchain deployment risks, while helping promote the national security and economic security of the United States concerning blockchain technology.

Additionally, it establishes that the US Secretary of Commerce must encourage and improve coordination among Federal agencies for the deployment of these technologies to offer federal support.

If signed into law, HR 1664 would also require the establishment of advisory committees to support the adoption of blockchain technology in the first 180 days after the date of the Act’s enactment.

Following its bipartisan support, the crypto legislation was received by the Senate earlier this week to continue the legislative process.

Crypto Legislation Advances In Congress

HB 1664’s passage follows the steps of other crucial crypto legislations in Congress, which have received significant bipartisan support in the two chambers. Recently, the stablecoin-related bill, the GENIUS Act, passed the Senate’s full vote and advanced to the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, the House’s crypto market structure bill, CLARITY Act, passed its two committee markups at the start of the month. However, the future of both legislations seemed uncertain as some lawmakers pushed to package the two bills together.

As reported by Bitcoinist, House leaders were reportedly pushing to merge the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act to increase the bills’ chances of passing Congress and being sent to US President Donald Trump’s desk before the August recess deadline.

Nonetheless, Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott revealed a new timeline for the crypto market structure framework at a press event on Thursday, suggesting an effort to keep the bills separate.

According to White House Crypto and AI Czar David Sacks’ summary of the new timeline, the legislation will be introduced before the August recess, followed by a Markup during the first week of September, and its final passage scheduled by the end of that month.

Sacks stated that “President Trump supports CLARITY on market structure as well as GENIUS on stablecoins,” adding that “July will be a big month, with a bill signing for GENIUS, and CLARITY going to the Senate!”

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Author

Julia Smith

Author

Julia Smith

About Author

Julia is an experienced editor with a passion for covering a wide variety of beats. She loves all things politics and regularly covers regulatory updates on emerging technology here for Crypto News.

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Last updated: 

June 27, 2025

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) says U.S. lawmakers are looking to have crypto market structure legislation completed by September of this year.

Tim Scott Sets September 30 Crypto Market Structure Deadline

Appearing in a fireside chat on Capitol Hill alongside fellow Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and the head of the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets of the White House, Bo Hines, Scott said he is eyeing a September 30 deadline to finalize the long-awaited legislation.

“I think that is a realistic expectation,” the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee said.

“As stated today, we are committed to getting market structure done by the end of September,” Hines said in a June 26 X post. “Period.”

Key Crypto Players Celebrate

Following the news, several key crypto heavyweights shared their enthusiasm over the digital assets development.

“A clear path forward,” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said. “Thank you, David Sacks for delivering the White House’s commitment to work with Senator Tim Scott and Senator Cynthia Lummis to deliver market structure legislation by September 30.”

“Getting comprehensive crypto market structure legislation passed has been sorely needed for years,” said Colin McCune, Head of Government Affairs at a16z. “We’re incredibly supportive of this effort to make it happen by September 30.”

“American consumers and crypto builders need clear, effective rules, and we stand ready to help get this done,” he added.

Scott’s updated legislative timeframe comes amid a groundswell of congressional crypto activity under a new crypto-friendly White House.

Earlier this month, the Senate passed the GENIUS Act, marking a win for the landmark stablecoin legislation.

In an appearance on CNBC this week, Lummis warned that Congress must pass both crypto market structure legislation and the GENIUS Act by the end of 2025.

“I’m not saying combine them, but they both need to pass this year,” Lummis said.

With a September 30 deadline now in the works for the crypto market structure bill, it looks as though 2026 may start with new crypto guidelines.

The U.S. Senate voted Monday to advance the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act), a bill aimed at regulating stablecoins, following a 66-32 procedural vote.

The legislation, introduced by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), seeks to establish a federal framework for stablecoin issuers, requiring full asset backing, monthly reserve disclosures, and annual audits for issuers exceeding $50 billion in market capitalization.

The bill also restricts algorithmic stablecoins and prohibits large technology firms from issuing stablecoins unless they meet financial risk and consumer privacy criteria.

The vote comes two weeks after Senate Democrats blocked the measure, citing concerns over consumer protections and potential conflicts of interest related to President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency ventures.

“The bill as it currently stands still has numerous issues that must be addressed, including adding stronger provisions on anti-money laundering, foreign issuers, national security, preserving the safety and soundness of our financial system, and accountability for those who don’t meet the act’s requirements.”

Several Democratic senators later changed their stance, allowing the bill to proceed to debate on the Senate floor.

The GENIUS Act is expected to face further amendments before a final vote, which could take place as early as the end of the week. If enacted, the bill would mark the first federal regulatory framework for stablecoins, a sector currently valued at nearly $250 billion.

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US Senators prepare for a new vote on the highly anticipated stablecoin bill that recently failed to pass cloture. After facing backlash and support withdrawal from Senate Democrats, the bill has undergone new bipartisan amendments to advance the legislation in the upcoming weeks.

Stablecoin Bill To Face Second Cloture Motion

A week after failing to pass the US Senate vote, Senator John Thune has filed cloture on the amended Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act following bipartisan efforts to revive the legislation.

Senator files for second cloture motion on the GENIUS Act. Source: Congress.gov

The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Bill Hagerty, failed to pass the cloture motion on May 8 after several lawmakers, including two Republican senators, withdrew their support ahead of the vote.

Notably, the stablecoin legislation only received 49 favorable votes when the process requires 60 senators to agree to advance the legislation to an open floor debate. Before last week’s failure, the GENIUS Act was considered a bipartisan effort to offer regulatory clarity, with various Senate Democrats supporting the bill.

The bill underwent various amendments to address Democratic senators’ concerns, including stricter requirements for stablecoin issuers and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) provisions. However, in an opposition statement, ten senators, including four Democrats who previously supported the bill, criticized the revised version of the legislation.

The lawmakers suggested that the draft omitted essential AML and national security safeguards and had ambiguous regulations that could expose crypto markets to exploitation, which led to its failure.

Now, journalist and podcast host Eleanor Terret reports that Senator Thune filed for a second cloture motion on May 15, with a vote scheduled for Monday evening after various amendments to address the Democrats’ concerns.

Bipartisan Amendments Could Not Be Enough

As reported by Bitcoinist, the US senators from both parties were working to “quickly revive” the stablecoin legislation since the May 8 failure.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Hagerty, recently told Bloomberg that staff from the two parties had continued to work on the GENIUS Act, hoping that Senate Democrats would agree to pass the bill before the Memorial Day holiday, on May 26.

The most recent bipartisan amended version of the stablecoin legislation reportedly includes new language regarding consumer protection, ethics, limitations on Big Tech issuers, among other provisions.

According to a draft page shared by Terret, the bill now prohibits non-financial publicly traded companies, like Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, from issuing a stablecoin unless they meet strict criteria related to financial risks, consumer data, and fair business practices, to maintain “the separation between banking and commerce.”

New bipartisan amendments to the GENIUS Act. Source: Eleanor Terret on X

Additionally, it establishes that issuers can’t use US-related branding, prohibiting terms like “United States,” “United States Government,” or “USG” in the stablecoin’s name to prevent consumers’ confusion with a US-backed token. This directly responds to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s concerns about potential “crypto corruption.”

The bill expanded the Ethics Coverage for Special Government Employees, adding that regular and special government employees, including Elon Musk and the White House’s AI & Crypto Czar, David Sacks, are uniformly subject to conflicts of interest procedures.

Meanwhile, the bipartisan amendments also strengthen the Treasury Department’s enforcement capabilities, securing the agency’s “ability to suspend an issuer’s registration after both reckless and willful violations.”

Despite the changes, a recent memo from Democratic staff on the Senate Banking Committee suggests that the amendments are insufficient for the bill to pass the vote next week, as “many of the new changes are fig leaves for significant flaws that jeopardize consumer protection and national security.”

The Democrats’ Thursday analysis affirms that the “current draft paves the way for more Trump crypto corruption,” expanding a “giant national security loophole for Tether,” and still permitting Big Tech companies to issue a stablecoin while failing to address several other “fundamental flaws.”

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Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.