US Senate Bans Federal Reserve CBDC in Housing Bill

The US Senate has passed housing legislation that includes a ban on the Federal Reserve creating or working on a central bank digital currency (CBDC) until 2030, which is expected to be quickly taken up and passed by the House.

The Senate on Monday voted 85-5 to pass the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which aims to increase the housing supply after a bipartisan group of House and Senate leaders reached a deal last week to move forward with the legislation. 

The bill has included a CBDC ban since the Senate first passed a version of the bill in March, which outlines that the Fed may not, directly or indirectly, “issue or create a central bank digital currency or any digital asset that is substantially similar to a central bank digital currency.”

Crypto advocates have long criticized CBDCs, which they see as an attempt by governments to bring digital currency under central bank control, and the bill is set to be a win for Republicans who have for years attempted to ban CBDCs.

The bill will now be sent to the House for a vote, where it is expected to pass quickly with the deal struck by House leaders last week, before it’s then sent to the president to sign it into law.

The CBDC clause in the bill became wrapped into the housing package as a political sweetener to secure support from House Republicans and the administration for faster passage.

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The ban makes a carve-out for stablecoins, or any “dollar-denominated currency that is open, permissionless, and private,” and that even after the CBDC ban lifts in 2030, the Fed can’t act on a CBDC without explicit congressional authorization.

A section of the housing bill banning the Federal Reserve from creating a CBDC. Source: Senate Banking Committee

Meanwhile, other nations are charging ahead with their plans for a CBDC.

Reuters reported on June 16 that China signed up 26 financial institutions to its digital yuan (e-CNY) cross-border payment platform.

Three countries have officially launched a CBDC, while 41 are in the pilot phase, 33 are in development, and 40 are still researching, according to the think tank Atlantic Council.

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