Congress just passed the most significant housing legislation in a generation. Tucked inside it is a provision that crypto investors should pay very close attention to.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act cleared the House on May 20, 2026, with a 396-13 vote, following the Senate’s 89-10 approval on March 12. The bill represents a merger of two earlier legislative efforts: the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act of 2025 and the House’s Housing for the 21st Century Act. The House had previously passed its own version on February 9, 2026, with a 390-9 vote. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) co-sponsored the legislation.
A housing bill with a crypto surprise
The legislation streamlines permitting to boost housing supply, modernizes federal housing assistance programs, and expands financing options through regulatory easing.
Section 1001 includes a temporary ban on the Federal Reserve issuing a central bank digital currency until at least 2030. The CBDC pause has drawn strong support from the Trump administration, which has consistently positioned itself as skeptical of government-issued digital currencies while maintaining a more permissive stance toward private crypto markets.
