Key Moments in 2026: How U.S. Cryptocurrency Regulations Will Trigger Systemic Change

Can Bitcoin Break Through the $225,000 Barrier? Bit Mining Chief Economist Youwei Yang Offers an Optimistic Outlook—By 2026, Bitcoin Price Is Expected to Reach This Level. However, the realization of this vision does not solely depend on market sentiment; macroeconomic fluctuations and geopolitical risks remain the Damocles sword hanging over the market.

What might truly change the game could be in Washington. Goldman Sachs’ research team recently pointed out that the optimization of the regulatory environment is becoming a key driver for large-scale institutional capital inflows into the crypto space. Led by James Yaro, the team emphasized that both buy-side and sell-side financial institutions have an increasingly urgent need for regulatory clarity.

Urgency of the Regulatory Window

The U.S. Congress is pushing forward a Market Structure Bill, with a very tight schedule—legislation must be completed by the first half of 2026. Once the midterm election season begins in November, the legislative pace is likely to slow significantly, and the opportunity window will close accordingly. Under this time pressure, whether the bill can be smoothly advanced directly affects subsequent market trends.

Jim Ferraioli, Head of Crypto Research and Strategy at Charles Schwab, added that after a significant adjustment at the end of 2025, the pace of institutional adoption may slow down in the first half of this year. However, if the “Clarity Act” passes successfully, this trend could be reversed—many institutional investors might accelerate their entry.

Chain Reaction of Institutional Breakthroughs

This is not just a matter of a legal document. When the regulatory framework shifts from ambiguity to clarity, the gates of the financial system will also open. Institutional-level capital inflows often require clear legal basis and compliance standards, and once these conditions are met, the market structure itself will undergo a qualitative leap—from a retail-dominated market to one led by institutions.

Price forecasts and investment enthusiasm could be completely rewritten due to successful legislation. The key question is whether regulators can complete institutional innovation within this limited time window.