In this week’s episode of Byte-Sized Insight on Decentralize with Cointelegraph, we explore a critical development in US crypto legislation. On May 19, the US Senate moved forward the GENIUS Act with a 66–32 procedural vote. This landmark bill aims to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for stablecoins. Simultaneously, in the House, Representative Tom Emmer reintroduced the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, which enjoys bipartisan support. Understanding GENIUS The GENIUS Act—short for “Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U. S. Stablecoins Act”—addresses fundamental questions about stablecoin issuance and oversight. “It defines this idea of a payment stablecoin, ” explained Rashan Colbert, director of US policy at the Crypto Council for Innovation, during this week’s interview. Colbert stressed that the bill goes beyond mere definitions. “It outlines in a robust way just who’s allowed to do this and what they need to look like. ” By this, he refers to criteria for approved issuers, such as bank subsidiaries, credit unions, and authorized non-bank entities. The bipartisan backing for the GENIUS Act marks an exciting and important moment. “There has been latent support within Congress, including among Democrats, ” Colbert said. “They just hadn’t had the chance to cast meaningful votes before. ” Protecting Blockchain Developers Meanwhile, in the House, the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, cosponsored by Representatives Emmer and Ritchie Torres, seeks to provide legal clarity to developers and service providers who don’t hold customer funds. “It clarifies that they are not money transmitters, ” Colbert stated. “That clarity is essential for these builders and entrepreneurs to operate successfully. ” With crypto adoption growing—especially in minority communities—Colbert highlighted the urgency.

“Around one in five Americans own crypto, and this figure is even higher among Black, Latino, and Asian-American populations, ” he noted. Looking forward, broader market structure reform will present more challenges. Colbert’s advice?Get involved. “Ultimately, it’s people raising their voices that make a difference, ” he said. “Crypto is a big deal—and Capitol Hill is finally paying attention. ” Listen to the entire episode of Byte-Sized Insight for the full interview on Cointelegraph’s Podcasts page, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Also, be sure to check out Cointelegraph’s full range of shows!