The U.S. Senate rejected the CLARITY Act on Tuesday, September 15, 2026—a bill intended to finally provide a clear regulatory framework for the digital asset market. The procedural vote, which only sought to open debate on the bill, resulted in 49 votes in favor and 50 against, falling well short of the 60-vote threshold required to move forward. All Democratic senators voted against it, joined by four Republicans, including Susan Collins and Josh Hawley.
Passed last year by the House of Representatives, the bill was designed to clarify the division of jurisdiction between the CFTC and the SEC, provide a legal definition for "digital commodities," and mandate official registration for trading platforms. However, negotiations ultimately stalled over ethics rules aimed at restricting the crypto profits of President Trump and his family, which were estimated at $1.4 billion the previous year. Despite more than a hundred concessions granted to Democrats by the bill's sponsors, no compromise could be reached.
The chances of the bill passing before the midterm elections in November are now virtually zero. Deprived of this federal legislative framework, regulators will be forced to continue their work in isolation, prolonging the climate of uncertainty hanging over the U.S. sector.
Sources:
- U.S. Senate Daily Press — Cloture Motion on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 3633 (Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act), September 15, 2026.
- American Banker — Crypto market structure bill fails in Senate vote, 49-50, September 15, 2026.
- CoinGape Live Updates — CLARITY Act Fails To Move Forward In US Senate Cloture Vote, September 15, 2026.
- Senate Banking Committee (Minority Staff Analysis) — Clarity Act Ethics Provision Fails to Stop Trump Crypto Profiteering, 2026.
- U.S. Senate Press Release (Sen. Cynthia Lummis) — Lummis, Boozman, Scott Release Final Clarity Act Text, September 14, 2026.
- KuCoin News — Bitcoin Slides as Clarity Act Fails Senate Cloture Vote, September 15, 2026.