Congress Passes CBDC Ban Until 2030 in Housing Bill Deal

The US Congress has reached an agreement on a housing bill that includes a ban on the Federal Reserve creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC) until 2030. The bipartisan group of House and Senate leaders released an updated version of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which aims to address housing affordability by banning institutional investors from buying existing single-family homes to rent out.

The bill has been a long time coming, with earlier standalone bills stalling in Congress. Republicans have tried to pass a CBDC ban for years, and this deal hands them a major win. The Senate added further amendments that will be put before the House for a final vote.

Crypto advocates have criticized CBDCs as an attempt by governments to repurpose crypto technology to a centrally-controlled asset. The bill includes language that says the Federal Reserve may not issue or create a CBDC or any digital asset substantially similar to one until 2030. It also creates a carveout for crypto stablecoins.

The clause revives much of the language from Republican Representative Tom Emmer's Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which was introduced in June 2025 and passed by the House the next month but never picked up in the Senate. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 banning federal agencies from all work related to CBDCs, saying they threatened 'the stability of the financial system, individual privacy, and the sovereignty of the United States.'

The deal also means Congress can focus on passing other legislation before the August recess and the November midterm elections. This includes the crypto-regulating CLARITY Act that many lawmakers have been pushing to advance.