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U.S. House Passes Landmark Crypto Bills

U.S. House Passes Landmark Crypto Bills

Plus, 📜 Trump targets 401(k) access for crypto, 💰 SBET plans $5B ETH raise, 🧾 BlackRock wants staking in its ETH ETF.

Juan Aranovich
July 18, 2025

Hi! In today’s edition:

🏛️ U.S. House passes 3 major crypto bills
📜 Trump to open 401(k) access to crypto
💸 SBET plans $5B ETH raise
🧾 BlackRock seeks ETH staking for ETF

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House Passes Landmark Crypto Legislation: GENIUS Act and Digital Asset Bills

The U.S. House of Representatives made history by passing three major crypto bills, including the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.

The GENIUS Act was passed with a 308-122 vote, establishing the first federal framework for U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins.

The Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act passed with a 294-134 vote, and clarifies roles for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over digital assets, distinguishing between commodities and securities.

The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act passed with a 219-210 vote, and bars the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) directly to individuals, reflecting concerns about privacy and government reach.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins hailed the passage of these bills, particularly the GENIUS Act, as a “historic milestone for crypto entrepreneurs, financial market participants, and everyday Americans.”

The GENIUS Act now moves to President Donald Trump’s desk for signing, while the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act and Anti-CBDC Act advance to the Senate for further debate.

Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle, joins Laura LIVE today at 12:00 PM E.T. to discuss the historic passage of the GENIUS Act.

Click here and hit the bell to get a reminder from YouTube!

Trump to Unblock Crypto Access in America’s $9 Trillion 401(k) Market: Report

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that would open the U.S. 401(k) retirement system to investments in crypto, gold, and private equity, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Three people briefed on the matter said that the executive order would be signed as soon as this week, while a spokesperson from the White House noted that “no decisions should be deemed official” unless they come from the President.

The move would open up the $9 trillion U.S. retirement market to crypto investments, and effectively reverse a Biden-era Department of Labor rule that discouraged 401(k) investments in crypto.

It comes as major investment firms like Blackstone, Apollo, and BlackRock anticipate a wave of new capital from retail retirement investors.

SBET to Raise Additional $5B to Grow ETH Position

SharpLink Gaming, which trades under the ticker SBET, is expanding its share issuance program by up to $5 billion as part of its ongoing effort to bolster its ether (ETH) treasury and business operations.

The company amended its At-The-Market (ATM) sales agreement with Alliance Global Partners, increasing the maximum possible aggregate stock offering from $1 billion to $6 billion, with the majority of the raised funds earmarked for acquiring ETH as a core reserve asset.

SharpLink’s ether holdings recently surpassed 307,358 ETH, overtaking the Ethereum Foundation’s total stash of the asset.

Most of SharpLink’s ETH is staked via decentralized protocols, earning passive income and supporting the company's digital asset-centered business model.

BlackRock Seeks to Add Staking to iShares Ethereum ETF

BlackRock is seeking to add staking functionality to its iShares Ethereum ETF (ETHA), which would allow the world’s largest asset manager to participate directly in the ether staking market.

In a 19b-4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), BlackRock filed to stake a portion of the fund’s ether (ETH), using a designated third-party to execute staking operations. The ETF would collect staking rewards and distribute yield to investors as additional income.

BlackRock’s approach ensures investors do not partake in technical staking or slashing risks directly, nor will the fund pool its assets with ether held by other entities.

Earlier this year, the SEC said staking rewards would be treated as earned income, not capital gains, making such ETF structures increasingly feasible for traditional finance players.

On Thursday, ETHA had a record day of $546.7 million in inflows, and currently manages over $8.4 billion in assets.

“BlackRock and other ETH ETF providers are entering the staking game - even 75% of BlackRock’s ~$16B adds ~$12B - a ~10% boost to Ethereum’s security,” wrote 21Shares researcher Matt Mena on X.

📤 Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen moved $26 million in XRP to Coinbase this week as the token surged near its all-time high, adding to over $340 million he’s transferred in 2025 alone.
🐶 Bitcoin miner Bit Origin said it would raise $500 million to buy Dogecoin, sending its stock up 90% as it bets on the memecoin’s role in Elon Musk’s X Money payments push.
💰 Thumzup Media, a Trump Jr.-linked adtech firm, won board approval to allocate up to $250 million into crypto including DOGE, XRP, and BTC, citing a friendlier U.S. policy environment and rising shareholder interest.
📊 Kraken launched regulated Bitcoin and Ethereum futures for U.S. users just as Congress advanced major crypto legislation, aiming to expand legal clarity and challenge CME’s grip on the derivatives market.

📱 Messaging startup Ephemera raised $20 million to build a decentralized alternative to apps like Signal and WhatsApp, aiming to let users own and move their conversations freely between platforms.

Coinbase just launched an Instagram clone where you lose money as you scroll the feed, and you're afraid of launching your silly crypto experiment??
— Nate Levine (@n8levine)
11:46 PM • Jul 16, 2025