If crypto goes back to the congressional drawing board, 3 Democrat women loom large

Next January, there's a strong chance that U.S. Representative Maxine Waters will steer the destiny of legislation to establish crypto market rules.

The California Democrat stands in line to return to the helm of the House Financial Services Committee, just as a number of other senior Democrats await their potential committee gavels if their party manages to secure majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate. If Waters takes over her panel, counterpart Representative Shontel Brown could rise to the top of the House Agriculture Committee, the other committee that would likely be in a position to pursue crypto legislation.

If the crypto industry and its congressional allies have to toss the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in the same bin where they once left its predecessor, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21), potential Democrat committee leaders are unlikely to see crypto regulation occupy the level of priority the current Republicans maintain.