US Senate Passes Housing Bill with CBDC Ban Attached, but House Path Remains Uncertain

On March 12, the US Senate passed an important "21st Century ROAD to Housing Act" with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 89 to 10.

Notably, in this 303-page bill, an unrelated clause was added: prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currency at least until the end of 2030.

The clause stipulates that the Federal Reserve "shall not directly or indirectly issue or create central bank digital currency through financial institutions or other intermediaries, or any digital assets substantially similar to central bank digital currency."

For a long time, Republican lawmakers have been keen to push for CBDC bans, while the US government has previously remained in the research phase, without launching government tokens that can compete with private stablecoins or CBDCs developed by jurisdictions like China.

Cody Carbone, CEO of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, commented on this: "Financial privacy is the cornerstone of American freedom, and any decision to authorize the central bank to issue digital currency must be made by Congress and the American people."

He also expressed sincere gratitude to the Senate for reaffirming that US digital innovation should be led by the private sector and that personal privacy freedom should be protected.

However, House members have indicated they may attempt to modify the Senate version again, where clauses forcing large investors (such as private equity firms) to reduce real estate holdings could hinder the bill's progress.

Although Trump supports limiting institutional home purchases, he recently also took a hardline stance, stating that he must first sign legislation requiring voter ID verification before the midterm elections, otherwise he will not sign any legislation.

Therefore, whether the "21st Century ROAD to Housing Act" can ultimately be implemented still requires observation of the House's final moves and whether Trump will keep his promise.

Additionally, Trump's hardline stance has also added various uncertainties to other crypto-related legislative processes, including the "Digital Asset Market Transparency Act" (Clarity Act).

#CBDC禁令 # Housing Bill