U.S. Senate Passes Housing Bill with CBDC Ban Attached, but House Passage Still Uncertain

On March 12, the U.S. Senate passed the important "21st Century ROAD to Housing Act" with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 89 to 10.

Notably, attached to this 303-page bill is a provision completely unrelated to housing: prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency at least until the end of 2030.

The provision stipulates that the Federal Reserve "shall not issue or create a central bank digital currency, or any digital asset substantially similar to a central bank digital currency, directly or indirectly through financial institutions or other intermediaries."

Long a priority for Republican lawmakers, the CBDC ban comes as the U.S. government has remained in the research phase, having not yet launched a government token to compete with private stablecoins or CBDCs developed by jurisdictions like China.

Cody Carbone, CEO of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, stated: "Financial privacy is a cornerstone of American freedom, and any decision to authorize the Federal Reserve to issue a digital currency must be made by Congress and the American people.

He also expressed sincere gratitude to the Senate for reaffirming that American digital innovation should be led by the private sector while protecting individual privacy rights.

However, House members have indicated they may attempt to revise the Senate version again, with provisions forcing large investors like private equity firms to reduce real estate holdings potentially impeding the bill's progress.

Although Trump supports restricting institutional home purchases, he has recently taken a hardline stance stating that lawmakers must first get him to sign a voter ID verification bill before the midterm elections, otherwise he will not sign any laws.

Therefore, whether the "21st Century ROAD to Housing Act" will ultimately be implemented still requires observation of the House's final moves and whether Trump will stick to his commitment.

Additionally, Trump's hardline stance has also introduced various uncertainties to other cryptocurrency-related legislative processes, including the "Clarity Act" (Digital Asset Market Transparency Act).

#CBDC禁令 # Housing Bill