congress

Nick Timiraos, the chief economic reporter for The Wall Street Journal and known as the "mouthpiece of the Federal Reserve," recently wrote that Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh is facing intense scrutiny from Congress. On Wednesday local time, four members of the Senate Banking Committee, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen, jointly sent a letter to Warsh, demanding that he publicly disclose all communication details with President Donald Trump.Earlier reports indicated that Warsh had maintained frequent phone contact with Trump since taking office, but the publicly available schedule from the Federal Reserve does not record any related calls during Warsh's early days in office. Lawmakers believe that this "selective transparency" could raise concerns about government interference in monetary policy.Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, previously stated that Warsh has long engaged in economic discussions with Trump but claimed that Trump would not pressure the Federal Reserve. Trump later denied the related reports, stating that he had only had a brief conversation with Warsh a few days prior.Currently, the Federal Reserve has stated that it will continue to delay the disclosure of the chairman's schedule according to established rules. The market is watching to see if Warsh will provide additional information and whether this matter will affect public confidence in the independence of the Federal Reserve.

U.S. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated at today's cryptocurrency meeting with President Trump at the White House that the most important priority right now is for Congress to send the CLARITY Act to the President's desk for his signature, and the SEC is fully supporting this effort.

According to The Bitcoin Historian (@pete_rizzo_), a member of the Taiwanese parliament stated that there is a "100% chance" that Taiwan will establish a strategic reserve of Bitcoin.The legislator emphasized that Bitcoin is different from gold, possessing the characteristics of digital transfer and verification, and pointed out that "the world has changed," with countries competing to lay out Bitcoin for national security considerations, acting ahead of the United States.

According to BeInCrypto, Tim Scott, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, stated that the CLARITY Act, aimed at regulating the cryptocurrency market, will be voted on before Congress goes into recess, and "there will undoubtedly be a vote."In an interview with Fox News, Scott mentioned that the Senate might extend its working hours, not limited to the next two days, to push forward the relevant legislation. He noted that there is a consensus forming within the Republican Party regarding the bill and believes that advancing a cryptocurrency regulatory framework "is in the interest of the United States."Tim Scott stated, "We will get this done."The CLARITY Act aims to further clarify the regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States, delineating the regulatory responsibilities of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the cryptocurrency market. Supporters believe that the bill will provide clearer rules for the industry and help the U.S. maintain its competitiveness in the digital asset space.Currently, the bill still faces internal congressional disputes regarding consumer protection, regulatory authority, and market risks. If ultimately passed, it will be an important step in building the U.S. cryptocurrency regulatory system.

Former U.S. Congressman George Santos has reached a settlement with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). According to the order, Santos must return $17,569.98, pay a civil penalty of $17,500, and is prohibited from trading on any CFTC-registered entity for three years.The CFTC found that Santos made misleading public statements and significant omissions when trading event contracts on the prediction market platform Kalshi related to whether he would attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Santos did not admit to the factual findings or conclusions in the order. Trading records show that Santos opened an account on February 11 and only traded that contract, first buying the Yes contract and profiting $3,448.43, then continuing to publicly state he would attend after flights and trains were canceled, and buying the No contract, ultimately profiting $14,390.57 from that position. Kalshi stated it had detected the related activities, froze the account, and provided evidence to the CFTC.

According to Cointelegraph, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that lawmakers have entered the "final sprint phase" for the Clarity Act, urging Congress to pass the bill before the recess.

According to market news, the U.S. Congress is engaged in bipartisan discussions on ethical issues. Negotiators are also discussing DeFi provisions, but ethical issues remain the main obstacle.When asked about the ethical proposal, Sen Lummis's spokesperson stated that the dialogue with the White House last week "went smoothly," and the ethical text to be released in the coming days will reflect this productive conversation.

According to Jinshi reports, the tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated sharply this week, with mutual attacks leading to the collapse of a fragile ceasefire agreement that had lasted for about three weeks. The inflationary pressure driven by rising oil prices has reignited expectations for the Federal Reserve to tighten its policies. During the same period, U.S. stocks largely ignored geopolitical uncertainties, with the "AI trading" frenzy regaining momentum, as the S&P 500 index approached an all-time high, and both it and the Nasdaq recorded a consecutive weekly gain. SK Hynix's ADR surged 13% on its first day, with a fundraising amount of $26.5 billion, making it the highest fundraising foreign company IPO in U.S. stock market history.In the coming week, the U.S.-Iran situation, U.S. CPI and other economic data, and speeches from Federal Reserve officials will capture Wall Street's attention. There is particular anticipation for whether Federal Reserve Chairman Waller can provide more clues about the interest rate outlook under questioning in Congress, although his determination to cancel forward guidance leaves little room for optimism. The macro data events for next week are as follows:MondayFederal Reserve Governor Waller speaksTuesdayU.S. ADP employment change for the week ending June 27U.S. June CPI and core CPIFederal Reserve Chairman Waller attends the House Financial Services Committee "Federal Reserve Semiannual Monetary Policy Report" hearingWednesday2027 FOMC voter and Chicago Fed President Goolsbee participates in a fireside chatU.S. June PPI and core PPIFOMC permanent voter and New York Fed President Williams speaksFederal Reserve Chairman Waller attends the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee "Federal Reserve Semiannual Monetary Policy Report" hearingFederal Reserve releases the Beige Book on economic conditionsThursdayU.S. initial jobless claims for the week ending July 11, U.S. June retail sales month-on-month, U.S. July Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index2026 FOMC voter and Dallas Fed President Logan speaksFederal Reserve Vice Chairman Jefferson speaks on the economy and monetary policy

Michael Selig, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), stated that the cryptocurrency market structure bill, the Clarity Act, "is very close to being finalized," and urged Congress to complete its passage before the August recess.

According to CoinDesk, the Clarity Act failed to be signed into law on July 4 as White House advisor Patrick Witt had hoped, and the time window for passing it through Congress before the midterm elections is narrowing.Three individuals familiar with the process stated that they remain optimistic about the bill passing this year, as relevant staff are still coordinating between the Senate Agriculture Committee and the Banking Committee versions. The Senate may only need a few days for public debate and voting, but if the bill fails to pass before the midterm elections, the post-election outlook remains uncertain. The next key date is August 7, 2026, which is the last session day before the Senate's summer recess and the campaign season.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee held a hearing to discuss the changing roles of banks and fintech companies, with one focus being the "streamlined master account" proposal that the Federal Reserve is considering, which would allow certain crypto banks and fintech companies limited direct access to the Federal Reserve's payment system. A Federal Reserve master account allows financial institutions to directly use the Federal Reserve payment network and gain the most direct access to the U.S. dollar monetary system. Institutions without this account typically need to rely on partner banks that have master accounts to provide services.The so-called "streamlined account" is a limited-function version intended to provide limited access for new financial institutions. Republican Congressman Dan Meuser stated at the hearing that access to the Federal Reserve payment system is no small matter, and the core issue is which institutions should be allowed to directly use these critical payment channels. Traditional institutions like community banks are concerned that crypto and fintech companies are not subject to equally stringent regulation, and direct access could pose risks to security and stability. The crypto industry generally supports the proposal, arguing that direct access to the Federal Reserve payment system should have been opened long ago, as it would help reduce reliance on intermediary banks and promote innovation.In May of this year, Trump also signed an executive order requiring the Federal Reserve to assess policies for opening central bank payment channels to fintech companies, including crypto companies. Previously, the Kansas City Federal Reserve had approved Kraken's parent company Payward for a "limited purpose account" in March, sparking discussions in the market about the extent to which crypto and fintech companies should have direct access to Federal Reserve services. A representative from Anchorage Digital stated at the hearing that if the U.S. wants to continue as a global financial center, it needs to allow for innovative federal and state regulatory frameworks.

According to CoinDesk, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh will testify before Congress for the first time on July 14 at 10 AM (Eastern Time), and traders are closely watching for signals regarding stablecoins, bank custody, and interest rate policy.

According to Bitcoin Magazine, the U.S. Congress will hold a hearing on the "Clarity Act" on July 17.

According to Cointelegraph, three major crypto lobbying organizations—the Blockchain Association, the Crypto Innovation Council, and the Digital Chamber of Commerce—jointly wrote to the U.S. Congress, requesting the unaltered passage of the "Mining and Staking Tax Clarity Act" without further amendments. The bill allows miners and stakers to choose to pay taxes either when they receive crypto rewards or when they sell their assets, aiming to address liquidity issues caused by "taxation on phantom income."Democratic Congressman Steven Horsford proposed an amendment to limit the deferral of crypto reward taxes to five years, but the CEO of the Crypto Innovation Council stated that the amendment would "undermine" the bill and only generate "negligible revenue." The American Bankers Association opposes the bill, claiming it gives cryptocurrencies a "significant advantage," while crypto lobbying groups believe that renegotiating the already reached compromise will "revive the issues the bill aims to resolve."

According to Cointelegraph, Michelle Bond, the wife of former FTX executive Ryan Salame, is facing criminal charges for allegedly using FTX funds to finance her 2022 congressional campaign. Manhattan federal judge George Daniels has denied Bond's request to dismiss the charges, ruling that the case will proceed. Bond previously claimed that prosecutors had promised not to prosecute her in exchange for Salame's guilty plea, but the judge found no such promise in the plea agreement. Prosecutors allege that Bond received $400,000 from FTX through a consulting agreement and accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional funds transferred by Salame to illegally finance her campaign, while concealing the source of the funds and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. Bond faces a total of four charges, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The case may become the last criminal trial related to the collapse of FTX.

According to The Block, leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives jointly released an updated version of the "21st Century Housing Road Act," confirming that the two chambers have reached a bipartisan agreement. The core content of the bill focuses on housing affordability reform, including expanding housing supply and limiting market monopolies by corporate landlords. Notably, an additional clause in the bill explicitly prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating CBDCs and any "substantially similar" digital assets before December 31, 2030, a clause driven by House Republicans. The Trump administration has consistently held this position, with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin previously stating that CBDCs are "not under consideration." The bill will first undergo procedural voting in the Senate and is expected to be submitted to the House for review after Congress reconvenes, and then sent to the President for signing.

According to CryptoSlate, the U.S. Congress is pushing to rebuild the Department of Justice's cryptocurrency crime task force. Previously, the Department of Justice disbanded the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team in April 2025 and stopped its "law enforcement as regulation" strategy targeting the cryptocurrency industry. The new bill was proposed by Representatives Lance Gooden and Josh Gottheimer, aiming to establish a federal cryptocurrency theft task force within the Department of Justice, responsible for coordinating investigations and prosecutions of cases involving cryptocurrency theft, hacking, fraud, and more.The task force's responsibilities include developing best practices for evidence collection, digital evidence analysis, asset tracking, and victim outreach, providing technical assistance and training to state and local law enforcement agencies, and coordinating international cross-border case cooperation. The bill explicitly excludes the cryptocurrency market, financial institutions, and financial products from the task force's regulatory scope, without changing the existing regulatory framework and criminal law. An FBI report indicates that in 2025, there were 181,565 complaints involving cryptocurrency, with reported losses exceeding $11 billion. The bill has not yet clarified details regarding funding, staffing, and victim response mechanisms.

According to CoinDesk, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on stablecoin regulation and the bank charter application of World Liberty Financial (WLFI). Acting Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould denied any "endorsement" from Trump, pointing out that the only political pressure his agency faces comes from Democratic lawmakers, not Trump. Democrats questioned the compliance of WLFI's bank charter application, citing its connections to foreign investors and alleged regulatory violations involving entities such as Binance.Additionally, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairman Travis Hill stated that new rules requiring stablecoin issuers to establish customer identification programs will be proposed soon. Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman provided clarification regarding the approval of a master account for the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, emphasizing that the account has limited authority and an initial term of 12 months, during which close monitoring will occur to gather experience for formal rulemaking.