CLARITY Act Gains Momentum as SEC, CFTC Align and Senate Advances Crypto Rules

ccn.comPublished on 2026-02-18Last updated on 2026-02-18

Abstract

U.S. lawmakers and regulators are advancing efforts to establish a clearer regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. The CLARITY Act (Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025), which has passed the House and gained reported White House backing, aims to resolve the long-standing jurisdictional stalemate between the SEC and CFTC. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged Congress to pass the bill "this spring." Key developments include the Senate Agriculture Committee advancing its own market-structure bill, which builds upon the CLARITY Act. Furthermore, SEC Chair Paul Atkins announced that the SEC and CFTC are coordinating through "Project Crypto" to develop a clearer token classification approach, serving as a bridge until legislation is enacted. The push seeks to provide predictability for crypto exchanges, brokers, and issuers by defining regulatory oversight and reducing reliance on enforcement-driven interpretations. The end goal is a negotiated legislative package that creates a more stable and defined U.S. crypto framework.

Key Takeaways

Reported White House backing is refocusing attention on the CLARITY Act as Congress debates crypto market structure.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the SEC and CFTC are coordinating via “Project Crypto” as a bridge toward legislation.
The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced a separate market-structure bill it says builds on the House-passed CLARITY Act.

U.S. lawmakers and regulators are ramping up the push for a clearer crypto rulebook as the Senate advances market-structure legislation and the SEC signals deeper coordination with the CFTC ahead of potential reforms.

According to reports, the White House is backing the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (H.R. 3633) , framing the move as an attempt to break the SEC–CFTC stalemate that has shaped crypto oversight for years.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Feb. 13 that Congress should pass CLARITY “this spring,” as the administration pushes for a clearer market structure for digital assets.

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House Passed CLARITY Act, Senate Is Next

The CLARITY Act is already a House product.

The bill text on Congress.gov lays out a framework for regulating digital assets across the SEC and CFTC, with the core objective of clarifying who oversees what in U.S. spot markets.

That makes the Senate the next gate: committee markups, cross-committee negotiations, and whether leadership schedules a market-structure package for a floor vote.

What the Bill Would Change

The bill is designed to reduce the industry’s reliance on enforcement-driven interpretation by creating clearer categories and compliance expectations for intermediaries.

For exchanges, brokers, issuers, and market makers, the prize is predictability.

This means fewer gray-zone listing decisions and a more stable understanding of which regulator is in charge of which activity.

SEC and CFTC Say They’re Coordinating

At a House hearing on Feb. 11, 2026, SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins told lawmakers he supports Congress enacting the CLARITY Act.

He described a joint SEC–CFTC effort dubbed “Project Crypto.”

Atkins said the effort would work toward a clearer token classification approach and would serve as a bridge while legislation moves through Congress.

That coordination matters because implementation is often where market-structure bills bog down.

When agencies start aligning publicly, it signals they expect something durable to emerge from Capitol Hill.

Senate Agriculture Advances a Parallel Framework

The Senate Agriculture Committee said on Jan. 29, 2026, it advanced the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act.

They describe it as legislation that builds on the House-passed CLARITY Act and incorporates provisions negotiated with Senate Democrats.

The takeaway is that the Senate is not starting from scratch.

The likely endgame is a negotiated package that uses CLARITY as the backbone, with Senate-side additions to secure votes and address consumer-protection concerns.

What To Watch Next

The near-term catalysts are procedural: Senate committee markups, Banking–Agriculture coordination, and whether leadership gives market structure floor time.

For now, the direction of travel is clearer than it has been in years: reported White House backing, active Senate drafting, and explicit SEC–CFTC coordination are all pointing toward a more defined U.S. crypto framework, just not on a fixed timeline yet.

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CLARITY Act Gains Momentum as SEC, CFTC Align and Senate Advances Crypto Rules

Abstract

Bitget

Bitunix

ChangeNow

House Passed CLARITY Act, Senate Is Next

What the Bill Would Change

SEC and CFTC Say They’re Coordinating

Senate Agriculture Advances a Parallel Framework

What To Watch Next

Related Questions

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