Bitget Wallet's research lead, Lacie Zhang, anticipates delays to crypto market structure legislation and heightened congressional oversight, while expecting little immediate disruption to trading activity.

Democrats' victory in both chambers of Congress could delay comprehensive crypto market structure legislation and increase scrutiny of the industry, although trading and product access should remain largely unchanged, according to Zhang.

In commentary shared with Crypto Briefing, Zhang said the shift in congressional control alters the political outlook for digital assets without immediately affecting existing regulations, because federal agencies remain under the current administration and continue operating under their existing leadership.

The CLARITY Act, which passed the House in 2025 and seeks to delineate federal oversight of digital asset markets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, now faces limited prospects of advancing after it failed to clear a Senate procedural vote in September by a margin of 49 to 50. How that jurisdictional question is resolved matters for U.S. trading platforms and token issuers because it determines which regulator sets their registration and compliance obligations. Zhang said the legislation has low odds of passing in its current form during the remaining congressional session or after Democrats take control of both chambers in January. Any future market structure bill would likely require compromises on investor protections and ethics provisions.

Greater congressional oversight could also bring heightened scrutiny of crypto companies and industry practices, particularly if lawmakers critical of the sector assume leadership of key committees such as the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee, the panels that have advanced previous market structure proposals.

In the near term, Zhang expects potential volatility around oversight hearings and last-minute legislative efforts over the coming months, although she noted that existing agency leadership and the current availability of crypto products should remain stable throughout this period. Concrete markers of how the landscape evolves include January's committee organization, any renewed attempts to bring market structure legislation back to the Senate floor, and early implementation work ahead of the GENIUS Act's effective date.

Over the longer term, she anticipates that market structure legislation will be delayed or rewritten with greater emphasis on consumer safeguards. Even so, ongoing agency rulemaking and institutional participation could continue supporting the industry's development.

The GENIUS Act, which passed with bipartisan support in July 2025 and establishes federal requirements for stablecoin issuance, reserves, and redemption, is scheduled to take effect on January 18, 2027, regardless of the change in congressional control.

Regulatory work on crypto custody, trading platforms, and token classification is also expected to continue under existing agencies, while narrower bipartisan legislation addressing tax treatment and illicit finance remains possible.

Zhang said the election's impact on everyday crypto investors should remain limited in the near term, with political developments more likely to influence the pace of legislation than the immediate availability of crypto products.

Overall, Zhang's outlook frames the Democratic sweep as a factor likely to slow the pace of comprehensive legislation rather than disrupt day-to-day trading and product access.