U.S. CBDC faces pause as Senate advances housing bill

ROAD to Housing Act includes CBDC moratorium, current status explained

The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs’ bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act includes a provision temporarily prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing a U.S. central bank digital currency until 2031, as reported by CoinDesk (https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/03/02/u-s-senate-housing-bill-includes-cbdc-ban). The provision is framed as a time‑limited moratorium within a broader housing package.

The package has cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate, indicating progress but not final passage, as reported by The Block (https://www.theblock.co/post/391889/us-senate-anti-cbdc-housing-bill). The language functions as a moratorium embedded in a non‑crypto legislative vehicle.

House conservatives sought to fold a CBDC prohibition into the housing package rather than pursue a standalone crypto bill, according to Decrypt (https://decrypt.co/359695/senate-advances-housing-bill-cbdc-ban-draws-white-house). That tactical choice helps explain why an anti‑CBDC clause is surfacing in a comprehensive housing measure rather than a discrete digital‑assets bill.

Reporting diverges on duration details: while one account cites a 2031 cutoff, an amendment has also been described that would block a U.S. CBDC until 2030, as reported by Cointelegraph (https://www.tradingview.com/news/cointelegraph:05f296457094b:0-senate-housing-bill-amendment-proposes-to-block-us-cbdc-until-2030/). Stakeholders should treat the timeline as provisional pending final text and conference outcomes.

What the moratorium covers and immediate implications for stakeholders

Based on the descriptions, the moratorium targets issuance by the Federal Reserve rather than private stablecoins. If enacted as described, it would pause any formal launch of a digital dollar through at least the stated sunset date.

For the central bank, that would constrain near‑term policy optionality; for banks and fintechs, it would ease immediate uncertainty over deposit displacement from a retail CBDC. For privacy advocates, a pause may be viewed as a safeguard while Congress debates design and governance choices.

Banking trade groups have warned about disintermediation risks from a retail CBDC before. “A CBDC could ‘disintermediate community banks, reduce credit availability, and undermine consumer privacy,’” said Rebeca Romero Rainey, President & CEO of the Independent Community Bankers of America, in a statement highlighted by Sen. Ted Cruz’s office (https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-introduces-legislation-to-ban-central-bank-digital-currencies).

At the time of this writing, Coinbase Global (COIN) most recently closed near 185.24 with after‑hours moves reported, based on data from Yahoo Finance. This market context is informational and unrelated to the bill’s status.

How it compares to the CBDC Anti‑Surveillance State Act and S. 464

The CBDC Anti‑Surveillance State Act seeks to prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC or maintaining retail accounts, positioning it as a broader, more durable restriction than a time‑limited moratorium. The measure advanced through the House Financial Services Committee in April 2025, according to Americas Credit Unions (https://www.americascreditunions.org/news-media/news/house-financial-services-committee-advances-stablecoin-anti-cbdc-bills).

The No CBDC Act (S. 464), introduced by Sen. Mike Lee on February 6, 2025, would prohibit the Federal Reserve, Treasury, and other agencies from issuing or using a U.S. CBDC, per Congress.gov (https://www.congress.gov/bill/119-congress/senate-bill/464). In contrast to the housing‑bill moratorium’s temporary timeline, S. 464 reads as a standing statutory ban.