Secretary Scott Bessent warned that failing to pass the CLARITY Act would send a “troubling signal” about America’s leadership in the digital asset industry. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged lawmakers to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act when the Senate returns from its August recess next week. “I strongly urge everyone to remain at the negotiating table, agree to the motion to proceed, and continue the legislative process,” wrote Bessent in a Wednesday X post, warning that failing to pass the bill would send a “troubling signal” about America’s leadership in the digital asset industry. The Senate is scheduled to return from its August recess next Monday, according to its legislative schedule. The CLARITY Act seeks to establish the first comprehensive regulatory…
The US Senate has a limited window to pass a crypto market structure bill, but if it were to fail, the legislation could be completely remade or scrapped under Democrats in 2027. With lawmakers in the US Senate set to consider legislation pushed by many in the cryptocurrency industry for regulatory clarity, there’s a limited window for the bill to become law, potentially delaying it into the next session of Congress with different politics in play. The US Senate is scheduled to return to session on Monday after more than a month in which lawmakers were on state work periods. Senator John Thune, the Republican majority leader in the chamber, has scheduled a cloture vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act for Tuesday, in which his compatriots will need support from a handful o…
Despite earlier opposition to the CLARITY Act over consumer protection, the National Sheriffs’ Association says it will now “step back and allow the legislative process to proceed.“ The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has dropped its opposition to a cryptocurrency market structure bill scheduled for a vote later this month when the US Senate returns to session. In a Thursday letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the US law enforcement group said that it was changing its position on the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act to “neutral.” The NSA cited the “significant work undertaken by Congress, the Administration, and stakeholders to navigate the many legal, regulatory, and enforcement considerations involved” in addressing the bill. “At…
Michael Selig said at a meeting of the Innovation Advisory Committee that he had directed CFTC staff to explore developer protections and other crypto-related policies. Michael Selig, who chairs the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), signaled that the agency would not be idle while Congress continued to debate provisions in a cryptocurrency market structure bill. In prepared remarks for the inaugural meeting of the CFTC’s Innovation Advisory Committee on Thursday, Selig said that the commission would move forward on crypto regulations even in the absence of the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act being passed by lawmakers, adding it would “help [Donald Trump] deliver if Congress will not.” According to the chair, he had already directed staff to allow registered and non…
Donald Trump spoke from the White House on Wednesday, urging the Senate to pass a crypto market structure bill to keep the country “ahead of China.” Update (Aug. 19, 8:55 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include comments from Senator Ruben Gallego at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium. US President Donald Trump continued to push for passage of a crypto market structure bill as the Senate remains in recess. In a Wednesday press conference with crypto company executives including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Trump said members of Congress should pass “a fair version” of the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act to keep the US “ahead of China.” The market structure bill, passed by the House of Representatives in July 2025, has b…
The proposed rules from the US securities regulator would provide companies with a safe harbor from tokens being treated as “investment contracts” and certain exemptions for token issuance. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed new rules that could affect the cryptocurrency industry after lawmakers in Congress failed to pass a market structure bill before breaking for a month-long recess. In a Tuesday notice, the SEC said that the agency proposed rules to create a “clear and fit-for-purpose framework for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets.” According to the regulator, the “tailored securities offering regime” would allow entities to raise capital while preserving investor protections. The agency’s rules did not include an “innovation exemption” for…
Owners of Trezor and SafePal crypto wallets at high risk of phishing attempts after separate data leaks, CLARITY odds at 10% despite White House meeting this week. Galaxy Digital has lowered its estimate of the CLARITY Act’s chances of passing in 2026 to just 10%. In May it had estimated the chance of passage at 75%. Multiple political issues remain unresolved and the Senate only has 14 days in session to pass the bill after it reconvenes on Sept. 14. Unless an initial motion to proceed vote occurs immediately upon lawmakers’ return to Washington, there would only be enough time for the CLARITY Act to pass if it “dominates basically the entire working session,” wrote Galaxy head of research, Alex Thorn.
Galaxy cited unresolved ethics, stablecoin yield and developer protection issues, along with a narrow Senate window when lawmakers return in September. Galaxy Digital has lowered its estimate of the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act’s chances of passing in 2026 to 10%. It warned that multiple political issues remain unresolved and the Senate will have only about two to three weeks to pass it when it reconvenes on Sept. 14. Unless an initial motion to proceed vote occurs immediately upon lawmakers’ return to Washington, there would be enough time for the CLARITY Act to pass the Senate only if it “dominates basically the entire working session,” wrote Galaxy’s head of firmwide research, Alex Thorn, in a Friday X post.
The CFTC will hold a meeting for its Innovation Advisory Committee on Aug. 20 to address regulation related to crypto assets, artificial intelligence and prediction markets. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced a committee meeting to advise the agency on policy issues, including a potential exploration of how to address cryptocurrency regulation in the absence of congressional action. In a notice issued Thursday, the CFTC said it would hold a meeting for its Innovation Advisory Committee on Aug. 20 to address regulation related to crypto assets, AI and prediction markets. Among the potential topics to be discussed on crypto were “areas where regulatory action can complement future congressional legislation,” likely referring to the US Senate failing to advance the D…
The US securities regulator scheduled a meeting this week with the potential to step up on digital asset policies without congressional action. Update (Aug. 10 10:40 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include a response from the SEC. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced a meeting to consider “new rules to create a tailored offering regime for certain investment contracts involving crypto assets.” According to the SEC’s agenda, the commission will hold an open meeting on Friday that has the potential to address policies and regulations affecting the crypto industry in the absence of action from US Congress. Last week, lawmakers in the Senate failed to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, also known as CLARITY, which was expected to provide a comprehens…
Patrick Witt says the Trump administration will keep negotiating with Democrats as the Senate prepares for a September CLARITY vote. US President Donald Trump’s administration remains committed to passing the CLARITY Act in September despite the Senate’s decision to delay action until after its August recess, according to the White House’s top crypto policy official. Patrick Witt, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, said Tuesday on X that the administration would continue negotiating with Democrats “all the way up until the September vote,” adding, “we also can’t afford to wait forever.” The Senate is expected to hold a cloture vote on the bill in mid-September, a procedural step that would require 60 votes to advance CLARITY toward a final vote.
Following a procedural delay in the US Senate, lawmakers are expected to address a major crypto market structure bill after they return from a month-long recess, which met with industry criticism. With the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act now set for a cloture vote in September, many advocates and industry leaders are frustrated and disappointed at lawmakers’ failure to act before the US Senate broke for a month-long recess. On Saturday, the Senate Daily Press reported that Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on a motion for the CLARITY Act to go to the chamber floor for consideration, ending speculation that lawmakers would address the bill more than a year after it was passed by the House of Representatives. The CLARITY vote is now expected when the Senate reconvenes in mi…
BIP-110 forks itself into oblivion with a “2-block chain” and CLARITY will finally get a Senate vote in September. The odds say that vote will be a No. Supporters of the BIP-110 soft fork hoped to eradicate spam from the blockchain, but after a lengthy and heated debate the proposal has been pronounced DOA or Dead On Arrival. After securing just 2.5% support ahead of entering mandatory signaling on Saturday, it split off into a minority chain that mined just two blocks in eight hours before stalling. This is probably no surprise given it’s just as difficult and expensive to mine on the new chain as it is on Bitcoin — but without any hope of being able to sell the block reward to recoup the costs. The difficulty would have adjusted downward if they’d managed to mine through another 2,014 bl…
Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the CLARITY Act is not merely a financial services bill, its a national security one. A former US defense secretary has urged the Senate to pass the CLARITY Act, arguing that weak digital asset rules create openings for North Korea and China to undermine American financial power. In an op-ed in the Financial Times on Saturday, former US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Beijing is already investing in state-directed payment systems to sidestep American supervision and erode the US dollar’s central role. “I have long argued that China is the greatest strategic threat of our lifetime,” said Esper, who also serves as a member of the Coinbase Global Advisory Council.
The procedural move puts crypto market structure legislation back on track as lawmakers continue negotiations over ethics and stablecoin provisions. US Senate Majority Leader John Thune has filed cloture on a motion to take up the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, also known as the CLARITY Act, setting up a key procedural vote on the crypto market structure bill for September. The vote is expected after the Senate reconvenes on Sept. 15, giving lawmakers several more weeks to resolve disagreements that prevented a deal before the August recess. The Senate Daily Press confirmed that Thune filed cloture on the motion to bring the CLARITY Act to the Senate floor for consideration. Invoking cloture requires 60 votes, meaning Republicans will need Democratic support to clear the procedural hurd…
Industry figures warned that continued legislative limbo could slow institutional adoption, revive regulation by enforcement and push innovation offshore. The US Senate’s delay of a vote on crypto market structure legislation could give Hong Kong and Singapore more time to strengthen their positions as digital asset hubs, according to First Digital founder and CEO Vincent Chok. On Friday, Thune’s office confirmed to Cointelegraph that the Senate would not vote on the legislation before the August recess. Thune cited Democratic opposition and said the bill would be a priority when senators return in September. Chok, whose company issues the FDUSD stablecoin, said the delay could give jurisdictions with clearer regulatory frameworks an advantage in attracting capital and talent as US uncerta…
Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that the chamber was “punting” the vote until September. Senate Republican leaders are expected to leave for their August recess without voting on crypto market structure legislation, delaying consideration of the bill until at least September, according to a report from Politico. Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that the chamber would not vote on the legislation before the recess, citing Democratic opposition and saying it would be prioritized when senators return next month. “The Dems are insistent on no Clarity vote,” Thune said, according to comments his office provided to Cointelegraph. “I worked with sponsors of the bill. Senator Lummis was great, and we’re getting that queued up first thing when we come back.”
The South Carolina lawmaker who heads the Senate Banking Committee said that the majority leader still had time to put the crypto bill on the agenda despite the narrow voting window. Senator Tim Scott, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, said that the chamber would vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act before it broke for an August recess, giving lawmakers just a few days to take action on the crypto bill. In a Thursday Fox Business interview, Scott said that the Senate “should have the first vote” on the CLARITY Act before lawmakers leave for state work periods this week. He added that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has the authority to set the agenda and schedule floor votes, still had time to announce a cloture vote on the crypto bill in the next few days.…
US lawmakers have only a few days to hold a vote on a crypto market structure bill before a recess begins that could push consideration into the 2026 election season or beyond. The window for the US Congress to pass a comprehensive market structure bill on cryptocurrencies is closing, with the Senate set to go on recess in a matter of days, and lawmakers still have not announced clear plans to vote on the legislation. In a Wednesday X post, Senator Cynthia Lummis said she anticipated that the Senate would vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act before the chamber breaks for its month-long August recess. The Wyoming lawmaker has been one of the biggest proponents for the crypto bill, which has split many members of Congress and industry leaders over different provisions on et…
Matt Hougan argues that regulatory guidance from the SEC and CFTC would keep the industry moving even if Congress fails to pass landmark market structure legislation this year. A failure to pass the CLARITY Act this week will put the bill in a “walking dead” state, but won’t stop the crypto industry’s march forward, according to Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan. In a blog post on Wednesday, Hougan said while many, including himself, have called it the “make or break” week for the CLARITY Act, the reality is that the crypto industry has made too much progress to “go back in the bottle.” “The reality is that Washington is always late to major technology shifts, and it has rarely mattered as much as people feared,” said Hougan.
