The US House Ways and Means Committee advanced federal cryptocurrency tax legislation on September 16, 2026, approving the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act in a 38–5 vote. The bill establishes new tax rules for stablecoins, staking, mining, lending, and digital asset transactions, and now moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
The vote came one day after the Senate CLARITY Act failed to advance to floor debate. That broader market structure bill fell short of the 60 votes needed, losing a cloture motion 49–50 on Tuesday.
Stablecoin and Transaction Rules
The Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act creates special tax treatment for qualifying dollar-pegged stablecoins and certain crypto lending agreements. The legislation extends wash-sale rules to widely traded digital assets and establishes a de minimis exemption for crypto transaction fees of $10 or less.
The bill introduces new rules governing how mining and staking income is taxed, though the specific provisions were not detailed in the committee materials.
Senate Setback and Regulatory Statements
Senator Cynthia Lummis, chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets and lead sponsor of the CLARITY Act, attributed the Senate bill’s failure to Democratic opposition. “For over a year, they presented demands and the second we met them, they made new demands and moved the goal posts,” Lummis said.
On the same day as the House committee vote, regulatory leaders issued statements on their authority to act independently. SEC Chair Paul Atkins said: “With or without legislation, we will act decisively within the SEC’s statutory authority to deliver certainty for American investors and for the entrepreneurs shaping our technological future. Stay tuned.”
CFTC Chair Michael Selig echoed the commitment to regulatory action. “The CFTC is locked in and ready to ship its rules for the new frontier of finance. Americans deserve regulatory clarity, legal certainty, and consumer protections in crypto asset markets,” Selig said.
Path Forward
The Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act must now clear a vote in the full House. No timeline for that vote was announced. The Senate CLARITY Act, which would establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and clarify SEC and CFTC roles, remains stalled after failing the cloture motion.
