The DeFi Community Sees the Crypto Bill Delay as a Strategic Opportunity, Not a Framework Collapse

Last week, the comprehensive framework intended for the United States cryptocurrency market encountered a significant obstacle. Coinbase’s return to support for the bill, followed by the cancellation of hearings in the Senate Banking Committee, caused delays in the long-anticipated regulatory framework. However, the industry, particularly the DeFi sector, does not see this as a defeat—rather, as a blessing that opens opportunities.

Why the Delay in the Framework Is Actually Good News

Mike Silagadze, founder of Ether.fi, spoke directly about his perspective. “I’m not too worried about this—I think it’s positive because the current bill is very bad for Crypto,” he said. Silagadze’s main concern is provisions that limit yields on stablecoin maintenance and impose heavy burdens on the DeFi ecosystem. But he expects that the next version of the framework will be more fair.

The same sentiment was shared by senior legal advisors in the industry. Bill Hughes, senior counsel and director of global regulation at Consensys, explained that the delay represents a negotiating position. “Sponsors and the industry are more willing to pause the bill than accept overly strict regulation of decentralized technology,” Hughes told CoinDesk. The message is clear: if senators want to proceed, they need to adjust the framework to be more reasonable.

The Negotiation Behind the Delay

The strategy is simple but effective. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong was seen at Capitol last Friday, indicating that the pullback is not permanent but strategic. Senator Tim Scott, the leading chairman of the banking committee and a Republican from South Carolina, stated that “we have engaged with industry and financial sector leaders, and everyone remains at the table working in good faith.”

The dynamic here is inspiring. Supporters of higher government oversight are more in need of this bill than the DeFi sector itself. This gives the industry leverage for the future. As Hughes said, the delay sends a clear signal that “if they want to succeed, they shouldn’t encourage us to flee.”

The Future of the Framework and Market Dynamics

The industry expects the return of a revised framework, possibly with more reasonable provisions. Coinbase’s decision to pause shows that even the largest exchange in the country is willing to reject a potential threat to innovation. It sends a contrasting message to legislators that the industry is united in ensuring that any new regulation will not be overly restrictive.

While the framework is undergoing renegotiation, the cryptocurrency market shows different patterns. Bitcoin is hovering around $88,000 after the Federal Reserve did not change interest rates, leading to subdued trading activity. Ethereum, Solana, BNB, and Dogecoin are posting moderate gains, but the strength of the US dollar and the continued appreciation of commodities like gold, silver, and copper overwhelm the crypto markets.

Analysts point out that Bitcoin is increasingly used more like a high-beta risk asset rather than a macroeconomic hedge. The asset is in a bearish consolidation, over 30 percent below its October peak, struggling to break through the key resistance near $89,000.

Amid all this, the Pudgy Penguins NFT project is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of the cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” to a comprehensive consumer IP platform. The ecosystem covers phygital products (over $13 million in retail sales and more than 1 million units sold), games, and the PENGU token, which has been widely airdropped to 6 million wallets.

The entire situation demonstrates that the halt of the framework is not a loss but a strategic recalibration of the regulatory landscape in the US cryptocurrency space.