U.S. Senate passes housing bill with CBDC ban through 2030

The U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by an 85-5 vote, advancing a housing package that also would block the Federal Reserve from issuing a retail central bank digital currency through at least the end of 2030. The measure would prevent the Fed from moving ahead with a substantially similar digital asset afterward without explicit congressional authorization, turning an existing policy direction into statute if enacted. The vote is notable because Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the crypto industry’s most prominent critics, has previously argued that a well-designed central bank digital currency could improve financial inclusion, efficiency and financial-system safety while helping displace risky private digital assets. Her support for the broader housing bill does not necessarily mean she has abandoned that view, but it places her behind legislation that restricts a policy she once said had “great promise.” The practical near-term effect may be limited because the Federal Reserve has remained in the research stage and has repeatedly said it would not issue a digital dollar without clear support from Congress and the executive branch. President Donald Trump also moved against the idea in January 2025 by signing an executive order directing agencies to stop developing, establishing or promoting a CBDC. Still, writing the restriction into law would make it harder for a future administration to reverse course. The bill’s inclusion of the CBDC language also underscores how a sweeping bipartisan housing measure became a vehicle for a broader U.S. retreat from a consumer-facing digital dollar even as other countries continue exploring or piloting CBDCs.