US Democratic senators filed a series of ethics-focused amendments to the crypto market structure bill as part of a broader effort to curb potential conflicts of interest tied to digital assets.
The amendments were submitted ahead of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s scheduled markup on Tuesday, which aims to advance legislation setting clearer federal rules for the crypto sector.
Democratic lawmakers said the measures are intended to prevent US officials from financially benefiting from crypto-related activities while shaping or enforcing regulation.
One key proposal involves incorporating the Digital Asset Ethics Act into the broader market structure bill to restrict officials from profiting from crypto holdings or ventures.
Senator Michael Bennet led the push for the ethics provision, positioning it as a safeguard against perceived misuse of political power.
Democrats have increasingly linked the amendments to concerns about alleged conflicts involving President Donald Trump and the crypto industry.
Lawmakers have pointed to Trump’s reported ties to the World Liberty Financial crypto platform, which they claim significantly boosted his personal wealth.
Public trust in digital asset regulation depends on clear ethical boundaries for those in power.
Elizabeth Warren said.
Additional amendments focus on the readiness of regulators tasked with overseeing the crypto market once the bill becomes law.
Senator Amy Klobuchar proposed delaying the bill’s implementation until the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is fully staffed.
The CFTC is currently operating with only its chair in place, leaving four commissioner seats vacant with no confirmed timeline for appointments.
Supporters of the delay argue that a full commission is necessary to ensure balanced and effective oversight of crypto markets.
Other Democratic amendments seek to attach unrelated but long-debated financial reforms to the crypto bill.
Senators Roger Marshall, Dick Durbin, and Peter Welch backed inclusion of the Credit Card Competition Act, which targets exclusivity practices by major card networks.
The proposed addition would bar certain financial institutions from forcing merchants or consumers into single-network credit card arrangements.
Tuesday’s markup follows an earlier postponement on 15 January after disagreements over stablecoin incentives and decentralised finance provisions.
Those disputes prompted Coinbase to withdraw its support for the legislation, highlighting ongoing tension between lawmakers and industry leaders.
Fresh uncertainty now surrounds the schedule, as a forecasted snowstorm could disrupt travel and attendance in Washington DC.
Senate aides warned that severe weather may once again delay the markup, further slowing progress on the crypto market structure bill.