Punchbowl News survey shows Hill aides doubt crypto tax bill passes this year

Congressional staffers have weighed in on crypto tax legislation, and the mood is somewhere between skeptical and resigned. A Canvass poll of Hill aides, reported by Punchbowl News on October 4, 2026, found that just 10% of respondents think a bill setting tax rules for digital assets is likely to pass before December 31, 2026. That is a striking number for an industry that spent much of the year pushing for clarity. It means nine out of ten of the people who actually staff the legislative process are not betting on a tax bill this year. A crowded calendar and a skeptical champion The main obstacle is timing. Congress is heading into a busy lame-duck session, the stretch between an election and the arrival of a new Congress, when lawmakers race to clear must-pass items before the clock runs out. Crypto tax bills do not sit high on that list. Punchbowl’s reporting points out that crypto tax measures face extra hurdles that other tax issues do not, which makes squeezing them into a packed post-election agenda even harder. The pessimism is not limited to anonymous aides. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), one of the crypto sector’s most prominent supporters in Congress, also voiced doubt abo...