The looming U.S. government shutdown is hindering progress on cryptocurrency market structure legislation. With Congress facing a deadline to pass a budget bill by September 30, 2025, the likelihood of advancing a market structure bill this year is diminishing. A scheduled markup hearing for the Senate Banking Committee's draft bill has been postponed to late October, and the Senate Agriculture Committee has yet to release any draft legislation. A shutdown could further delay critical developments in crypto policy, according to Jessica Martinez of the Blockchain Association. Despite these challenges, there is some optimism that bipartisan efforts will persist into the next year.