U.S. House Passes Historic GENIUS 'Crypto Bill' & Sends Crypto Surging After Right-Wing Rebellion

Tensions ran high in Washington as lawmakers scrambled to take up the GENIUS Act, a landmark stablecoin bill that would reshape the future of cryptocurrency in the U.S.

For months, the bill was stalled by partisan infighting, with Republicans fiercely divided between those demanding tough regulation and those warning of stifled innovation.

The House floor ground to a halt during an unprecedented ten-hour standoff, as hardliners from the Freedom Caucus refused to budge.

Speaker Mike Johnson found himself locked in marathon negotiations, huddling with dissenters and seeking last-minute deals in his Capitol Hill office.

The drama reached new heights when the holdouts were summoned to the White House, where President Trump, eager to cement his crypto legacy, personally lobbied them to fall in line.

A wave of late-night deals and political arm-twisting finally broke the deadlock, pushing the GENIUS Act back onto the House agenda.

Conservatives agreed to link the controversial Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act to the must-pass defense bill, quieting some of the loudest critics for now.

Democrats, meanwhile, were deeply skeptical, worried about both the regulatory framework’s teeth and the Trump family’s swelling crypto fortune.

The stage was set for one of the most contentious votes in recent memory—a decision that would echo far beyond Washington.

As the clock ticked toward midnight, lawmakers steeled themselves for a battle that would decide the fate of digital money in America.

Stablecoins—cryptocurrencies pegged to “stable” assets like the U.S. dollar—were thrust into the spotlight, promising both innovation and potential peril.

Proponents in Congress argued that regulating these digital tokens would safeguard consumers, streamline cross-border payments, and put the U.S. at the forefront of global financial technology.

Skeptics countered that without robust guardrails, stablecoins could trigger the next economic meltdown, inviting volatility and even manipulation by bad actors.

The House wrangled with how to design rules tough enough to protect the public but flexible enough to let American crypto businesses thrive.

In the background, powerful companies like Amazon and Walmart eyed the prospect of launching their own stablecoins, hoping to revolutionize how Americans shop and pay.

Democratic leaders worried the legislation might give big business too much power over monetary policy, while not offering enough oversight to prevent disaster.

The GENIUS Act became the centerpiece of the debate, offering the first-ever federal framework for stablecoin issuers and requiring them to maintain reserves and follow new disclosure rules.

Backers insisted the bill would spur innovation and help the U.S. catch up with other countries racing ahead in digital currency adoption.

But critics were not convinced, pointing to past crises where poorly regulated currencies sparked global chaos.

The high-stakes debate made clear that stablecoins had moved from the margins of finance to the heart of American economic policy.

Both sides agreed on one thing: the stakes for getting this right could not be higher.

As the debate raged, the White House leaned in, with President Trump vowing to make America “the crypto capital of the world.”

Trump’s own family fortune, tied to the meteoric rise of World Liberty Financial and its USD1 stablecoin, became a flashpoint for Democratic accusations of self-dealing and conflict of interest.

Public disclosures showed Trump earning tens of millions from token sales, even as he pushed Congress to fast-track the GENIUS Act.

Supporters hailed Trump’s focus on crypto as visionary, arguing that only bold leadership could bring U.S. digital finance into the 21st century.

But opponents worried that political and financial interests were dangerously entangled, threatening the impartiality of U.S. economic policy.

As lawmakers jockeyed for influence, crypto markets surged, with bitcoin topping $120,000 and trading platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood hitting record highs.

Meanwhile, companies across Wall Street and Silicon Valley were racing to capture a piece of the stablecoin boom.

Market analysts warned that rapid growth, without firm regulation, could spark unpredictable shocks to the global financial system.

The GENIUS Act’s narrow passage became a symbol of both the promise and peril of American crypto policy.

In the end, the bill was less a final answer than a high-stakes bet on the future of money.

The GENIUS Act’s path to passage was anything but smooth, exposing sharp divisions both between and within parties.

The bill initially faltered, failing a key procedural vote as right-wing Republicans pressed to bundle it with other sweeping crypto reforms and a controversial anti-central bank digital currency measure.

Speaker Johnson canceled remaining votes and called an emergency halt, as tempers flared and alliances shifted on the House floor.

Negotiations extended into the early morning hours, with Trump taking a direct role, boasting that his Oval Office meeting had secured enough votes—only for some holdouts to double back.

Eventually, a fragile agreement emerged, trading the Anti-CBDC Act for Freedom Caucus support, and allowing the GENIUS Act to move forward on its own.

Democrats split as well: some worried the bill was too weak on consumer protections and anti-corruption measures, while others argued that regulatory clarity was long overdue.

Liberal critics accused Republicans of trying to fast-track the bill to benefit Trump’s business empire, while centrist Democrats demanded “rules of the road” to rein in crypto chaos.

On the GOP side, deep divisions persisted over how aggressively to police digital assets versus fostering free-market innovation.

By the time the final votes were counted, 206 Republicans and 102 Democrats had voted yes, giving the bill a bipartisan—if uneasy—mandate.

The House’s political theater set the tone for a dramatic showdown that would carry into the Senate and beyond.

After years of gridlock and delay, the GENIUS Act sailed through the House by a 308-122 margin, winning over a coalition of moderates and market-minded lawmakers from both parties.

The legislation’s core: a regulatory framework requiring stablecoin issuers to maintain dollar-backed reserves, submit to federal oversight, and adhere to new transparency rules.

For the first time, the U.S. would have clear, enforceable laws governing digital tokens, giving both investors and companies a sense of stability and predictability.

The Senate had already passed the bill with a lopsided 68-30 vote, capping off months of bipartisan negotiation and bruising political fights.

Senator Tim Scott, who shepherded the bill through committee, hailed its passage as a milestone that would “secure America’s leadership in payments innovation.”

Industry stakeholders lined up in support, with major financial firms and crypto startups alike eager for a seat at the new regulatory table.

President Trump made it clear he wanted the bill on his desk “as soon as possible,” promising a new era of U.S. crypto dominance.

Critics remained vocal, warning that loopholes and weak enforcement could leave the door open to future crises.

But the legislative victory was undeniable: Congress had, for the first time, embraced the digital currency revolution.

The question now was how the new rules would play out in the real world—and whether they’d be enough to keep the system safe.

With the GENIUS Act headed for Trump’s signature, the U.S. stood on the brink of a new era for digital money and global finance.

Industry advocates saw a future of rapid innovation, cross-border payments without friction, and new opportunities for American businesses and consumers alike.

Wall Street banks and tech giants raced to launch their own stablecoins, hoping to ride the regulatory wave and capture fresh markets.

The Clarity Act, another major crypto bill, was also on the move, set to create a full set of rules for all digital assets and push the sector even further into the financial mainstream.

Venture capital flooded into the space, with crypto startups raising over $16 billion in the first half of 2025, the highest ever recorded.

Infrastructure projects, security companies, and AI-driven blockchain ventures saw especially sharp increases in investment.

Despite the optimism, some voices urged caution, warning that systemic risks and market manipulation could lurk beneath the surface.

The rapid rise of corporate-backed stablecoins, in particular, sparked fears that a sudden crisis could ripple out into the broader economy.

Still, the momentum was unmistakable: crypto had gone from outsider tech to a pillar of U.S. financial policy.

The only certainty was that the digital money revolution was just getting started.

For all its promise, the GENIUS Act stirred up deep anxiety about the risks of stablecoins and the possibility of a new financial crisis.

Economists pointed to past collapses, like Argentina’s disastrous currency peg, as cautionary tales about relying too heavily on artificial “stability.”

If big companies issued their own coins and later faltered, they warned, it could trigger a stampede of redemptions, fire sales of U.S. Treasury bonds, and chaos across global markets.

Regulators insisted they’d learned from past mistakes, building in reserve requirements and transparency rules meant to prevent disaster.

Skeptics countered that oversight gaps remained and that history showed even seasoned watchdogs could miss looming threats, as in the Silicon Valley Bank collapse of 2023.

Democrats called out what they saw as the bill’s weak consumer safeguards and the risk of leaving too much power in private hands.

At the same time, some Republicans argued that overly strict rules would only drive innovation—and investment—offshore.

The result: a regulatory framework built on compromise, with plenty of unknowns still ahead.

Financial markets, already volatile, watched closely for signs of stress or runaway speculation.

The stakes could not be clearer: a single misstep could turn the promise of digital money into the next global shock.

With new rules in place, the race was on for banks, tech firms, and startups to carve out their share of the stablecoin market.

Amazon, Walmart, and other corporate giants eyed digital tokens as the future of customer loyalty and payments, reshaping how Americans spend and save.

Traditional banks sought to bridge the gap, exploring partnerships and new services built atop blockchain rails.

Crypto exchanges and DeFi projects, emboldened by the promise of regulatory clarity, moved quickly to expand their reach and offerings.

For everyday Americans, the changes brought both opportunities—like lower fees and faster payments—and new risks, as digital wallets and stablecoins became part of daily life.

Lawmakers promised continued oversight, with new subcommittees and watchdogs tasked with keeping an eye on the rapidly evolving sector.

Meanwhile, the international community watched closely, as U.S. policy decisions sent ripples through global markets.

Some analysts predicted a boom in financial inclusion, while others saw the risk of new forms of inequality and exclusion.

Through it all, the crypto industry celebrated its hard-won legitimacy—even as it braced for fresh scrutiny.

The lines between Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and Main Street had never been blurrier.

The GENIUS Act’s passage became a litmus test for American attitudes toward technology, regulation, and political power.

For Trump and his allies, it was a signature achievement—proof that the U.S. could lead on digital innovation without bowing to bureaucratic caution.

Democrats found themselves split between reformers eager for guardrails and skeptics worried about corporate overreach and presidential profiteering.

Political battles flared over the bill’s provision barring members of Congress from stablecoin profits—but not the president or his family.

Progressives saw the new law as a Trojan horse for deregulation and influence-peddling, while centrists cast it as a pragmatic response to unstoppable technological change.

The bill’s journey exposed deep rifts in both parties, as old alliances gave way to new coalitions around tech, finance, and generational change.

In the media, debate raged over the wisdom of the American experiment in digital money, with headlines warning of both opportunity and danger.

Behind closed doors, lobbyists and policy experts jockeyed to shape the next phase of crypto law, knowing that much remained unsettled.

The fight over the future of money, it seemed, had only just begun.

With the ink barely dry on the GENIUS Act, attention turned to the future of American finance—and the world’s digital economy.

The coming months will see regulators craft the details, industry leaders jockey for influence, and Congress revisit unfinished business like the Clarity Act.

New players, from global banks to small startups, will enter the stablecoin market, testing the limits of the new regulatory regime.

Investors and consumers will adapt to a world where dollars, tokens, and algorithms blur into a single, fast-moving financial system.

Policymakers must stay vigilant, learning from past mistakes and keeping pace with technological leaps.

For the U.S., the promise is clear: leadership in the next wave of global commerce, if the risks can be managed.

For skeptics, caution is warranted, as history warns that even the best-laid plans can go awry.

What’s certain is that the story of crypto in America is far from over—and the next chapter promises even greater drama.

As the dust settles on Capitol Hill, all eyes are on what comes next in the saga of digital money.