Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to push the CLARITY Act toward a vote before the August recess, which could force senators to make their positions public even if the cryptocurrency market structure bill cannot overcome a filibuster.
summary
- Thune wants a vote in the Senate before the August recessAlthough there is uncertainty about the required 60 votes.
- Republicans need this Seven Democratic votes If all 53 GOP senators support clotures.
- Includes revised draft Temporary ethical restrictions on digital asset activity by senior federal officials.
- Polymarket traders place The chance of the bill becoming law in 2026 is about 33%..
Thune wants senators to be on the record about the CLARITY Act
Thune wants the Senate to begin considering the legislation before lawmakers leave Washington for their summer vacation, according to The Sun. Punchbull News.
“I would like to at least start a Clarity project,” Thune said. “We’ll see where the votes are.”
A floor vote would test whether months of negotiations have produced enough bipartisan support for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, formally known as HR 3633. It would also determine which senators are responsible if the bill fails to advance.
The House passed the CLARITY Act in July 2025 with bipartisan support. Senate Banking Committee later He advanced his oath of legislation in a 15-9 vote in May 2026.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis released an updated version on July 22 that includes proposals previously approved by the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees. The Senate is scheduled to remain in Washington until August 7, leaving lawmakers with a narrow period to discuss amendments and hold procedural votes. Loomis’ office confirmed The new text merges the work of the two committees.
Democratic votes remain the main obstacle
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, meaning the bill would need support from about seven Democrats to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster, assuming every Republican supports it.
A group of seven Democratic senators led by Angela Alsobrooks said the current proposal does not provide adequate consumer protections or safeguards against illicit financing. Ethics rules involving senior government officials are another unresolved issue.
The updated bill includes temporary restrictions that prevent federal officials, including the president and vice president, from issuing or sponsoring digital assets. This ruling is scheduled to expire in 2029.
Loomis acknowledged that negotiations must balance Democrats’ demands for stronger ethics rules with the risk of losing White House support. Sen. Thom Tillis also said lawmakers are “not quite there” on the ethics agreement.
These divisions could leave Thun without the votes needed to begin a formal debate. However, holding the vote would create a public record and put more pressure on undecided Democrats before the midterm campaign heats up.
Police union approval removes one hurdle
Concerns about law enforcement eased after the National Fraternal Order of Police reversed its previous opposition and supported the revised bill.
Such as crypto.news I mentionedThe association represents more than 382,000 members and changed its position after reviewing the language associated with the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act. The group believes that the revised provisions preserve the ability of police and prosecutors to investigate crimes involving digital assets.
The police union’s letter also cited safeguards that address fraud involving digital asset kiosks, along with anti-money laundering obligations and penalties.
Supporting it removes one source of resistance but does not resolve the broader dispute over consumer protections, ethics rules, and rewards for stablecoins. This was done by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Fidelity and several cryptocurrency industry groups. He called to passWhile Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon Supported market structure legislation Despite broader concerns in the banking sector about stablecoin returns.
Failure to vote could delay US cryptocurrency rules
Supporters of the CLARITY Act say the legislation would establish clearer boundaries between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It will also create rules for digital goods and some non-custodial blockchain developers.
For U.S. cryptocurrency companies and investors, failure would leave key questions about token classification, exchange oversight, and federal jurisdiction unresolved in the legislation. Agency guidance can still shape the market, but future administrations can revise those policies more easily than law passed by Congress.
Senator John Kennedy warned that the bill’s prospects would weaken if the Senate was unable to secure a positive vote before the August recess.
Prediction markets reflect this uncertainty. Polymarket traders are currently hiring Clarity acted with a probability of 33%. From becoming law during 2026, while Galaxy Research lowered its estimate to 30%.
Thus, Thune’s planned vote may determine whether negotiations continue with renewed urgency or move to a midterm session with less time in the Senate and a more uncertain political balance.
