Treasury Secretary Bessent Blasts Senate for Blocking GENIUS Stablecoin Bill

The Senate’s determination to dam the GENIUS Act on Thursday drew speedy condemnation from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who warned the vote might jeopardize the U.S.’s place within the world digital property race.

“For stablecoins and different digital property to thrive globally, the world wants American management,” Bessent posted on X. “The Senate missed a chance to offer that management at the moment by failing to advance the GENIUS Act.”

The invoice, designed to ascertain a federal regulatory framework for issuing stablecoins, didn’t move a procedural vote on Thursday after key Senate Democrats moved to stonewall it.

Although it had loved bipartisan assist earlier this yr, Democrats pulled again within the closing hours, citing issues over nationwide safety, anti-money laundering provisions, and the sudden introduction of recent language.

‘As soon as in a technology’

Bessent referred to as the GENIUS Act “a once-in-a-generation alternative to develop greenback dominance and U.S. affect in monetary innovation.” 

With out it, he stated, “stablecoins can be topic to a patchwork of state laws as a substitute of a streamlined federal framework.”

The defeat of the GENIUS Act has solid uncertainty over stablecoin oversight and the broader effort to move digital asset laws forward of the 2026 midterm elections, when each Home seat and a 3rd of the Senate can be contested.

“The world is watching whereas American lawmakers twiddle their thumbs,” Bessent wrote. “Both step up and lead or watch digital asset innovation transfer offshore.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), one in every of a number of Democrats who voted to dam the invoice, stated it was incomplete.

“I merely can’t in good conscience ask my colleagues to vote for this laws when the textual content isn’t but completed,” Warner stated in an announcement on Thursday.

Others pointed to political tensions sparked by current crypto-related endorsements from President Donald Trump, which some lawmakers noticed as undermining the invoice’s credibility. 

Senator Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly warned that advancing the laws with out safeguards would “support and abet Trump’s corruption.”

Nonetheless, hopes for a revival stay.

A crypto coverage chief informed Decrypt the invoice might return to the ground as early as subsequent week, however admitted the prospects have been unsure.

Sen. Warner additionally pointed to that timeline, saying he hopes the Senate can “begin flooring consideration subsequent week” as soon as the revised textual content is finalized and colleagues have had time to assessment it.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), a longtime advocate for digital asset coverage, referred to as the invoice’s failure a severe setback. 

“Make no mistake, digital property are the longer term and America should prepared the ground,” she tweeted Thursday, whereas thanking her pro-crypto colleagues.

​​Whereas the GENIUS Act stalled, business voices say the bigger push for crypto regulation stays a prime precedence for lawmakers and business leaders alike. 

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong tweeted how “each side care deeply about getting clear guidelines for crypto and getting it proper,” including after years of being sidelined, “crypto is not simply on the desk, it is on the prime of the agenda.”

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair