US government shutdown hits day 38 and the crypto bill is stuck in limbo

So the Senate is voting today on a funding bill to reopen the government… but nobody knows if it’ll pass. they need 60 votes to clear the hurdle… and there have already been multiple failed tries in recent weeks.

Meanwhile the crypto market structure bill everyone was hyped about is basically frozen. the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act passed the House on July 17, 2025… got sent to the Senate in September… and action has stalled during the shutdown.

Members of Congress are still being paid during the shutdown… while many federal workers are furloughed or working without pay until funding is restored. so almost all non-urgent legislative work has taken a back seat… crypto bill included.

Talks are still happening around digital asset rules… but Democrats have been firm about tying any reopening deal to extending health care premium tax credits… which has kept things at a stalemate.

Senator Cynthia Lummis… one of the louder crypto advocates… said in August she hoped to move a market structure package through Senate committees in the fall and get a final bill to the President by year end… paving the way for implementation in 2026. that timeline looks shaky now.

With the government shut down for 38 days and holidays coming up… even a quick reopening leaves a heavy backlog… so crypto legislation probably won’t be priority one right away.

Basically we’re stuck waiting while the government figures out how to fund itself… not exactly the regulatory clarity everyone was hoping for.