Veto? No. CBDC Ban? Yes. Trump's 10-Day Tantrum Hands Crypto Its Biggest Win 🏠

President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that he will not sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan housing bill that includes a prohibition on a U.S. central bank digital currency until Dec. 31, 2030. Under Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, a bill passed by Congress automatically becomes law after 10 days without the president's signature, provided Congress remains in session. That deadline expires just after midnight on Friday, and the White House has declined to confirm whether Trump intends to issue a formal veto before then. A formal veto would return the legislation to Congress, where lawmakers would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override it; the bill previously passed the Senate 85-5 and the House 358-32.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he would not sign the housing bill in protest over the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE America Act, the president's controversial voting legislation. He called Republicans in Congress who voted on the housing legislation "dumb" and urged the Senate to instead prioritize the bill, which would require people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in person to register and which critics have argued could disenfranchise eligible voters. "I will not sign the housing bill," Trump wrote, describing his action as a "protest" over the SAVE America Act, which he said polls at 97% among the Republican Party.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is primarily aimed at boosting U.S. housing construction by cutting regulations and limiting institutional investors' ability to purchase residential properties. Lawmakers added a provision to the bill barring the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a CBDC "or any digital asset that is substantially similar" through the end of 2030. The CBDC language was welcomed by crypto and privacy advocates, who have argued a government-issued digital dollar could enable federal surveillance of Americans' financial transactions. The Federal Reserve has repeatedly said it would not issue a CBDC without authorization from Congress. Trump did not address the CBDC ban in his Friday post.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a co-sponsor of the housing bill, criticized the president's refusal to act. "[H]e's refusing to sign the biggest housing bill in 30 years," Warren said. "The good news: it's going to become law anyway." The legislation, which passed the House and Senate in June with bipartisan support, will take effect without Trump's signature.

The episode has fueled questions about whether other pending crypto legislation, including the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, could face similar treatment. The CLARITY Act, which has cleared the House and two Senate committees, is expected to head to the Senate floor for a vote in July once lawmakers return from state work periods on Monday. Trump's ties to the industry, including reported 2025 income of more than $1.4 billion from his crypto ventures such as memecoins and the family platform World Liberty Financial, have already complicated bipartisan negotiations on the market structure bill.