There would be a great irony if cryptocurrency — which was created in 2008 to provide an alternative to the mainstream financial system that had just failed — led to another economic crash. But that is what a handful of experts fear could happen now that Congress has passed the GENIUS Act, a major piece of crypto legislation.

Crypto interest groups spent heavily donating to lawmakers who went on to support crypto legislation on Capitol Hill.

A dozen House Republicans bucked Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson to prevent the legislation from advancing on the floor -- joining the entire Democratic caucus -- and, at least temporarily, freezing activity in the House. The final tally was 196-223.

Crypto week kicks off on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers set to debate a handful of bills that sources say could have a big impact on the market.

On Tuesday, a dozen conservatives sank a procedural vote to advance three crypto bills, including the GENIUS Act, which would establish a regulatory framework for the $250 billion market for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency tied to the value of an asset like the U.S. dollar.

The fate of long-awaited cryptocurrency legislation in the U.S. Congress was cast into doubt Tuesday, as a procedural vote to consider the measures was shot down by lawmakers from both parties, and shares of some companies in the sector fell.

Bitcoin rose to over $120,000 on Monday, breaking the cryptocurrency’s all-time high as Congress considers several pieces of pro-crypto legislation. The digital currency peaked at around $122,600 mid-afternoon Monday before declining to around $116,