With the longest U.S. government shutdown now concluded, lawmakers are shifting their focus to a crucial digital asset market structure bill, which could significantly influence voter decisions in the 2026 midterm elections.

The Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees have introduced drafts for their respective versions of the bill, following the CLARITY Act, which previously passed the House of Representatives in July. Despite Congress’s session running until January 2027, there is pressure to pass the Responsible Financial Innovation Act before the midterm electoral campaigns.

Mason Lynaugh, the community director at Stand With Crypto, emphasized, “Going into 2026, market structure is still [the] number one priority for everybody,” further noting that voting patterns on this issue will be crucial in upcoming elections.

“Market structure is still that shining objective that we’ve been trying to get, and going into 2026, that’s 100% the most important thing. Whoever votes for that, against that, it’s going to be a huge deal […]”

Translation: The market structure is a key focus, and future votes will be significantly impactful.

Senator Cynthia Lummis indicated earlier that the bill’s progress would be expedited, but the recent shutdown and challenges from opposition parties may affect the timeline.

Discussions of the crypto industry’s involvement in future elections underscore that more than half of surveyed New Jersey citizens were likely to support pro-crypto candidates in the last elections. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, who won her seat largely due to pro-crypto votes, reflected that legislative support on these issues tends to score big with voters.

As ballots are prepared for November 2026, it remains uncertain how lawmakers’ voting history will factor into voter decisions, especially with critical committee votes still pending.