Congress sends anti-CBDC housing bill to President Trump’s desk

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Tuesday, sending the bill to President Donald Trump for final approval. 

The measure passed the House by a 358-32 vote after the Senate cleared it 85-5 one day earlier.

The bill focuses on housing affordability, supply and access to homeownership. It seeks to cut red tape, speed up construction, limit large investor control in parts of the housing market and update some federal housing programs.

“Today, Congress delivered a major win for families working toward the American Dream,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott. “The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will help more Americans put down roots, build a better future, and find not just a house, but a home, and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”

CBDC ban moves with the package

The housing bill also includes language blocking the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a central bank digital currency. The restriction would run until Dec. 31, 2030, unless Congress acts again before that date.

The clause bars the Federal Reserve Board or any Federal Reserve bank from issuing a CBDC or a digital asset that is substantially similar to one. It also applies to issuance through a financial institution or other intermediary.

The bill defines a CBDC as a dollar-denominated digital asset that counts as U.S. currency, is a direct liability of the Federal Reserve System and is widely available to the public. The language includes an exception for dollar-denominated digital currency that is open, permissionless and private.

Trump policy backs CBDC freeze

The CBDC clause fits the Trump administration’s position on a federal digital dollar. President Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 that barred federal agencies from taking steps to establish, issue or promote a CBDC unless required by law.

As previously reported by crypto.news, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a U.S. CBDC was “off the table” under Trump. Bessent also urged lawmakers to move ahead with the CLARITY Act as part of a broader push to bring digital asset activity into the United States.

In a recent update, crypto.news covered the Senate vote that moved the housing bill and CBDC ban toward the House. That report noted that the Fed had not launched a digital dollar program and that the idea had remained closer to research than rollout.

Private stablecoins remain outside the freeze

The CBDC language does not ban private stablecoins. The bill’s carveout keeps the restriction focused on Federal Reserve-issued money, not privately issued dollar tokens that meet the bill’s conditions.

Previously, crypto.news reported that the housing deal included a stablecoin carveout while blocking a Fed digital dollar until 2030. That language matters as Congress continues to work on separate digital asset rules covering stablecoins and market structure.

The U.S. stance also differs from other markets. The European Central Bank has continued work on a digital euro, while China has developed the digital yuan. The United States is now moving toward a legal pause on a retail Fed digital dollar through the end of 2030.

If Trump signs the bill, the CBDC restriction will move from executive policy into federal law. The broader package will also place housing reform and digital dollar limits inside the same statute, linking two policy debates that Congress handled through one bill.