Breaking: Senate Committee Moves Crypto Bill Markup To January 29 as Government Shutdown Looms

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee postponed a planned markup of a crypto bill amid rising shutdown risks. The Committee moved the vote to January 29 at 10:30 a.m. ET in Washington. Lawmakers delayed the markup after canceling voting sessions amid a few postponements already.

Crypto Bill Markup Rescheduled by Senate Committee

The crypto bill was originally scheduled for markup on January 27 at 3:00 p.m. ET. However, the SenateAg Committee rescheduled the session to Thursday morning. The Committee also confirmed this development in an X post. 

UPDATE: 🗓️ Due to winter weather, the markup is rescheduled for Thursday, January 29th at 10:30 a.m.https://t.co/KxUQsaulR0 https://t.co/wRQvw0Ijmb

— Senate Ag Committee Republicans (@SenateAgGOP) January 26, 2026

The postponed session was also tied to a broader government funding package. Federal funding expires Friday night. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives approved its funding measure on Thursday, leaving Senate action unresolved.

As CoinGape earlier reported, the Senate canceled its Monday session due to heavy snow and icy conditions. Lawmakers preemptively halted voting to ensure safety across Capitol Hill. As a result, the markup could not proceed as scheduled.

The bill under review seeks to curb market manipulation and clarify crypto trading rules. Referenced legislation includes the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. The House already advanced that measure, requiring federal registration for crypto exchanges.

Legislative Scope and Partisan Divide

The crypto bill outlines how digital assets may be classified as commodities or securities. It also defines oversight responsibilities between the SEC and the CFTC. However, the markup remains partisan despite extended negotiations. Only Republican committee members have publicly supported the current text. Two additional weeks of bipartisan talks already delayed an earlier January 15 markup.

Several top voices in the industry have largely supported the latest draft released last Wednesday. They praised protections for noncustodial developers and infrastructure providers. The language keeps regulatory focus on intermediaries, not protocols or users.

Additionally, the Senate Banking Committee has also previously slowed progress on related market structure legislation.  At the time, the Banking Committee bill carried more than 70 pending amendments. Separately, the SEC and CFTC have also today pushed their harmonization event to the same day at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, as CoinGape reported, Polymarket data shows a 79% chance of a government shutdown before January ends. That probability jump reflects unresolved funding negotiations.

Those delays could further disrupt legislative scheduling for the crypto bill. Senate negotiations have progressed more slowly than in the House. As a result, final consideration risks slipping deeper into the year.