Consensus Miami is set to be the policy moment of the spring: a deep-dive into the many threads of crypto regulation beyond the headline market-structure fight on Capitol Hill.
Why it matters
Policy has stopped being an afterthought for crypto. Last year brought the first major crypto-specific law signed by President Donald Trump, a tougher regulatory enforcement posture and serious legislative attention to issues such as stablecoin yield. Markets celebrated—bitcoin’s price was cited at BTC $74,492.86 and briefly surged past $120,000—while the industry took credit for newfound political influence. This year has been bumpier: prices have mostly plateaued, and Congress faces a shrinking window to pass market-structure legislation in its current form. Still, regulatory rulemaking (including proposals tied to last year’s GENIUS Act) and renewed talks about tax reform show the sector is firmly on Washington’s agenda.
What Consensus Miami will tackle
CoinDesk’s Consensus Miami next month makes policy a centerpiece. The conference will convene lawmakers, regulators, staffers and industry leaders to parse the issues that will shape crypto’s next chapter:
- Tax reform: momentum around a de minimis exemption for small crypto transactions and the new realities of the 1099-DA reporting era.
- Stablecoins and banking-style rules: regulatory proposals drawing from the GENIUS Act framework.
- DeFi compliance: how decentralized finance can—or can’t—meet anti-money-laundering obligations.
- State-level approaches and the Clarity Act: how states are carving out their own regimes and what federal clarity might look like.
- The 2026 midterms: a series of sessions on how the election will reshape crypto policy and how the industry is engaging politically.
Speakers and sessions to watch
Consensus will feature a who’s who of policy makers and regulators across a three-day agenda, including Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Ashley Moody, CFTC Chair Mike Selig, White House crypto lead Patrick Witt, and Congressional staffers. Congressman Steven Horsford (D-Nev.)—who recently reintroduced a version of the Parity Act aimed at crypto taxation—will participate in a discussion about that bill.
Policy-focused voices include SEC Crypto Task Force chief Taylor Lindman, former IRS officials Seth Wilks and Raj Mukherjee, and National Futures Association policy lead Lucy Hynes, among many others. CoinDesk is also reviving the Policy & Regulation Summit: an entire day and stage dedicated to these debates.
A headline finale: prediction markets
Consensus will close with a timely debate on prediction markets—are they gambling or a bona fide financial instrument, and which regulator should oversee them? With legal challenges likely headed toward the U.S. Supreme Court, this session (set for May 7) will preview the key arguments and regulatory implications.
Join the conversation
If you’ll be in Miami, Consensus is the place to engage with the people shaping crypto policy. There will be meetups for election-focused conversations and plenty of opportunities to connect with lawmakers, regulators and industry players. (There’s a discount code available via the event link.)
Feedback and contact
Have tips or topics you want covered? Email nik@coindesk.com or find the author on Bluesky @nikhileshde.bsky.social. You can also join the group conversation on Telegram.
See you in Miami.
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