White House Crypto Adviser Urges Democrats to Back Senate Crypto Bill

The White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt has asked Democrats on the Senate Agriculture Committee to support a new crypto market structure bill ahead of its January 27 markup. His appeal came after the committee released revised bill text following months of talks that failed to reach a bipartisan agreement.

Witt said the Senate bill is more than 80% similar to the House’s CLARITY Act, which previously gained support from several Democrats. He noted that the House version was backed by 17 Democrats on the Agriculture Committee and nearly 40% of House Democrats overall, including Nancy Pelosi, Pete Aguilar, and Ted Lieu.

Despite these similarities, the Senate Agriculture Committee, led by Chairman John Boozman, confirmed that no Democrats have publicly supported the bill so far. Senator Cory Booker, who led Democratic negotiations for months, has also not endorsed it.

Senate Crypto Bill Draws Mixed Industry Reactions

However, crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett reported that Booker’s team said he will continue working with Boozman, leaving open the possibility of future bipartisan support. Witt said the revised bill includes changes requested by Booker to make it more appealing to Democrats. He also praised Boozman for being transparent during negotiations.

The bill received mixed reactions from the crypto industry. Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal said the bill is a good starting point but still needs work. Ji Hun Kim of the Crypto Council for Innovation said the bill is an important step toward clearer rules and better consumer protection.

Others were more critical. Analyst NekoZ said giving the CFTC more authority could reduce regulatory confusion, while Bart Mol of the Satoshi Radio Podcast warned the bill is too complex and could lead to delays.

Meanwhile, a separate crypto bill from the Senate Banking Committee is also facing delays, with a markup unlikely until late next month. President Donald Trump recently said he hopes to sign a crypto market structure bill soon, but there is still no clear timeline for when any bill could become law.

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