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Crypto Week: An Inflection Point for the U.S.

July 17, 2025
Nilmini Rubin
Nilmini Rubin
Chief Policy Officer

We are in “Crypto Week”, a defining moment for U.S. digital asset policy. The House of Representatives prepares to take up the GENIUS Act to regulate stablecoins and the CLARITY Act to provide a market structure for digital assets. The bills mark a clear shift in how the U.S. approaches innovation, governance, and leadership in digital assets.

After years of regulatory ambiguity, the U.S. is stepping into a new era, with a forward-looking framework that fuels competitiveness and sets global standards rooted in American values.

Washington Is on Board

The introduction of the CLARITY Act resolves the structural uncertainty that has prevailed over the past decade by defining clear jurisdictional boundaries between the CFTC and SEC.

Policymakers treat regulatory clarity not as a motto, but as a mandate. It is the operational baseline for capital formation, product innovation, and market stability. Without it, innovators move offshore, institutions hesitate, and enforcement fills the vacuum left by absent guidance. The CLARITY Act aims to reverse that trend by setting forward-looking definitions, creating pathways for compliant token issuance, and ensuring that federal regulators operate with jurisdictional precision.

More importantly, the CLARITY framework reflects a shift in how Washington views the future of finance. This shift from reactive crackdowns to proactive, principles-based governance is the market signal stakeholders have long awaited. Congress is not merely trying to catch up; it is leading.

Trust, Allocation, and Infrastructure

This new approach is not only transcending party lines but is also being driven by institutional appetite. More than half of institutions are planning over 5% digital asset allocations, and crypto ETFs are generating significant interest. And this real momentum needs stable rails. In fact, Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated a total net asset value of $137 billion since their launch in 2024 – the fastest asset to reach this figure in history.

Money Market Funds (MMFs) are also gaining momentum. Just this week, the UK-regulated exchange Archax facilitated a tokenized collateral transaction between Lloyds Banking Group and Aberdeen Investments. Utilizing tokenized assets on @Hedera, this highlights the real-world potential of tokenized collateral in the $15T daily OTC FX and derivatives markets.

Today, over 70% of global banks invest in blockchain technology, primarily for payments and settlement, so it is not just about retaining U.S. talent, but also about attracting foreign players. Now is the time to establish trusted standards, ensure transparent audit practices, secure on-shore custody, and send a clear signal that the U.S. is open for crypto innovation. When companies can scale confidently at home and global firms recognize the strategic value of operating here, American leadership becomes the benchmark.

Others Are Moving Fast, But the US is Catching Up

This is a critical moment for clear-headed leadership in a fast-moving, global race. As other regions move to ensure their digital asset frameworks remain competitive, the U.S. has the opportunity to lead by shaping a future grounded in transparency, trust, and innovation.

The choice is no longer whether to engage, but how. Through thoughtful regulation, strategic coordination, and forward-leaning policy, America can establish the standards that others follow.

Now is the time when we are seeing the U.S. commit, clarify, and lead with intention.

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