America Rewrites the Rules: Crypto Regulation Enters Its Defining Era
From enforcement to architecture, the U.S. is rebuilding digital asset governance with bipartisan weight and moral consequence
There are moments in history when leadership is not measured by speed, but by alignment.
We are in one of those moments now, and it is showing up most clearly in how America is choosing to regulate digital assets.
What is happening in U.S. crypto regulation since President Trump’s return is not simply political. It is structural. It is a reordering of authority, accountability, and responsibility after years of confusion. And through a Kingdom lens, it carries a familiar pattern: when systems drift, clarity must return. When power overreaches, boundaries must be restored. When fear governs, stewardship suffers.
To understand why this moment matters, we need context.
Setting the Stage: Trump 45 and Biden Administrations
During President Trump’s first term, crypto was largely dismissed. In June 2021, President Trump famously called Bitcoin a “scam” and viewed it as a threat to the U.S. dollar. There was no framework. No strategy. Mostly indifference.
That indifference gave way to something far more aggressively interventionist under the Biden administration.
From 2021 through early 2025, the SEC led by Gary Gensler pursued what became known as “regulation by enforcement.” Over 125 crypto-related enforcement actions were brought. More than $6 billion in penalties were collected. Rules were applied retroactively. Guidance was scarce. I saw firsthand while building AWS’ blockchain business how clarity creates responsibility and ambiguity drives risk offshore. Trust eroded for builders in America.
What we are witnessing now is a sharp reversal.
The Trump 47 Shift: From Enforcement to Architecture
On January 23, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology. This single act did three important things.
First, it revoked Biden’s digital asset framework entirely.
Second, it established a President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets tasked with building rules, not lawsuits.
Third, it made clear policy positions: support for responsible crypto growth, promotion of dollar-backed stablecoins, explicit resistance to a U.S. central bank digital currency, and protection of lawful banking access for crypto companies.
Executive orders are directional, not durable. Their significance lies in how they realign agencies and signal Congress to act. Tone matters. But architecture matters more.
Appointments followed. Paul Atkins took over as SEC Chair, signaling an end to hostility and a return to rulemaking. David Sacks was named Special Advisor for AI and Crypto, chairing the Working Group. The SEC launched a “Crypto 2.0” task force focused on clarity. Roughly 89 prior enforcement cases were dropped or frozen.
This was not deregulation. Agencies were not told to step back. They were told to draw lines. It was re-regulation done properly.
Congress Enters the Picture: Stablecoins and Structure
The GENIUS Act, signed in July 2025, marked the first comprehensive federal framework for stablecoins. It passed the Senate 68–30, with meaningful bipartisan support.
It requires full reserve backing, monthly disclosures, AML compliance, and lawful freeze capabilities. It also gives stablecoins something they have never had before: legitimacy with boundaries.
More complex is the CLARITY Act, the long-awaited market structure bill designed to answer who regulates what.
At its core, CLARITY aims to end the SEC–CFTC turf war by clearly defining digital commodities, setting registration standards for intermediaries, and moving the industry from enforcement to design.
The House passed it with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Senate version is where tension has emerged.
January 14, 2026: A Necessary Pause
Yesterday, as the Senate Banking Committee led by Senator Tim Scott prepared to mark up its version of CLARITY, Coinbase among others publicly withdrew support. The reasons matter.
Concerns were raised about restrictions on tokenized equities, limits on stablecoin rewards, expanded surveillance language, and erosion of CFTC authority in favor of the SEC.
This triggered a pause. Not a collapse. A pause.
Some argue no law is better than flawed law. Others argue imperfect clarity beats endless ambiguity. The White House has urged alignment, not fracture. Senate leadership insists negotiations continue in good faith.
Here is the important Kingdom insight: last-minute additions that overreach can kill good law. The risk is not delay. The risk is last-minute expansion that reintroduces ambiguity under the banner of protection. That is as true spiritually as it is legislatively.
Why This Is Truly Bipartisan
Crypto is one of the few issues where both parties do not automatically vote party lines. The GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act votes prove this coalition is real.
Bipartisan Reality by the Numbers
• GENIUS Act Senate vote: 68–30
• CLARITY Act House vote: 294–134
• IRS DeFi broker repeal: 292–132
Republicans have led this effort, while Democrats have participated at scale, with over 100 House Democrats voting for at least one major crypto bill. That bipartisan foundation gives durability. Laws passed this way endure beyond administrations.
What This Means Going Forward
We are likely headed toward a staged outcome. Stablecoins first. Market structure next alongside firm limits on central bank digital currency expansion. Deadlines in 2026 matter. Midterms matter. But the direction is set.
This is not about crypto winning politically. It is about order returning to a system that drifted. Scripture reminds us:
“God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” — 1 Corinthians 14:33
Clarity is not a luxury. It is stewardship. When rules are known, builders build. When boundaries are clear, responsibility grows. When enforcement gives way to design, maturity follows.
That is what we are witnessing now. Not hype. Not collapse. A turning of the gate. For those paying attention, it is an invitation to steward wisely what comes next.
Prayer 🙏✝️🕊️
Father God, Thank You for being a God of order, not confusion.
Thank You for restoring clarity where fear once governed and wisdom where power overreached.
Grant our leaders discernment beyond party lines. Guard this moment from overreach, self-interest, and haste. Help those shaping policy to serve truth, protect the vulnerable, and steward authority humbly.
May what is built now endure. May what is unclear be refined. And may innovation serve Your purposes, not replace them.
We trust You with the timing, the outcome, and the responsibility You’ve placed before us. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🔥🕊️