As a regular reader of this newsletter, you may be aware that Congress has been debating market structure legislation for the past few months. However, crypto policy discussions encompass a much broader range of issues, including taxes, decentralized finance regulations, the midterm election, and state-specific approaches.
CoinDesk's Consensus Miami conference will delve into each of these topics in depth. This newsletter examines the intersection of cryptocurrency and government. To stay up-to-date on future editions, click here to sign up.
Upcoming discussions in Miami As we've noted before, significant policy changes surrounding digital assets have become increasingly important. Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the first substantial crypto-specific legislation, and regulators have since shifted their approach to enforcement actions.
Congress has been debating the finer details of issues like stablecoin yield treatment, indicating that crypto has become a mainstream topic. In other words, the crypto industry has arrived. While the industry experienced significant growth last year, with bitcoin's price soaring to over $120,000 and legislation seemingly imminent, things have slowed down somewhat this year. Crypto prices have been largely stagnant due to broader economic stresses, and time is running out for Congress to pass market structure legislation in its current form.
Nevertheless, regulators have begun proposing rules for stablecoin companies based on last year's GENIUS Act, lawmakers are considering reforms to U.S. crypto tax policy, and the industry has cemented its position to the point where it can no longer be dismissed. So, what's next?
The industry is still seeking tax reform, hoping the market structure bill will become law without overly burdening the industry, and looking ahead to the November elections, which will determine the next Congress. We'll be exploring these topics in more depth at Consensus Miami, our annual conference that brings together key players from the industry.
You'll have the opportunity to hear from leading lawmakers, such as Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Ashley Moody, regulators like CFTC Chairman Mike Selig, and the White House's point man on crypto, Patrick Witt. Congressional staffers will also be in attendance throughout the three-day conference. Congressman Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), who recently introduced a new version of the Parity Act to address crypto taxation, will participate in a discussion about the bill.
We'll also host a meetup for those interested in discussing the election or the broader policy landscape. We're also bringing back the Policy & Regulation Summit, a full-day event dedicated to exploring key policy and regulatory issues in-depth.
The policy summit is designed to address some of the most pressing questions facing lawmakers, regulators, compliance officers, and industry builders, including how decentralized finance can comply with anti-money laundering rules, how to navigate taxes in the new 1099-DA era, and what the Clarity Act means for the industry. We'll have a series of sessions focused on the 2026 midterm election, including how the crypto industry is engaging with the election and what to expect next year when the new Congress takes over. Throughout the event, you'll hear from individuals deeply involved in the policymaking process, such as SEC Crypto Task Force chief Taylor Lindman, former IRS officials Seth Wilks and Raj Mukherjee, and the National Futures Association's Lucy Hynes, among many others.
We'll conclude the Policy Summit, and Consensus as a whole, with a debate on one of the most significant topics in the country right now: prediction markets. Are they simply a form of gambling, or do they represent a novel financial instrument? And who should regulate these products?
These questions will likely end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, but we'll preview the arguments for you on May 7.
Join us (use the discount code in the link) and say hello. This week Tuesday If you have thoughts or questions about what we should discuss next week or any other feedback, feel free to email me at nik@coindesk.com or find me on Bluesky @nikhileshde.bsky.social. You can also join the group conversation on Telegram.
See you all next week.