Trouble for US Crypto Reform?

The US Senate has delayed a critical step on the Digital Asset Market Structure CLARITY Act, raising fresh doubts about whether Congress can pass long-awaited crypto rules in 2026.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman said his committee will postpone its planned markup of the bill until the last week of January. 

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No Discussion on Crypto CLARITY Act Until Two More Weeks

The session had been scheduled to take place alongside the Senate Banking Committee’s markup this Thursday. Boozman said the delay aims to preserve bipartisan support.

The move signals that Senate leaders do not yet have the votes needed to advance the bill. Without enough backing across party lines, leadership risks seeing the legislation stall or collapse during committee votes.

The CLARITY Act is the most comprehensive US crypto market structure bill to date. The House passed its version in mid-2025, but the Senate must approve its own version before the bill can move forward. 

Lawmakers had hoped the January markups would start that process.

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Instead, the delay reflects growing disagreement over key provisions. These include stablecoin rewards, DeFi oversight, and how power should be split between the SEC and the CFTC.

A markup is where committees debate and amend the bill line by line before voting on whether to send it to the full Senate. If either the Banking or Agriculture Committee rejects the bill, it cannot advance.

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Why the CLARITY Act is Stuck

Under the CLARITY Act, crypto would receive formal legal classifications. Some tokens would fall under SEC securities law, while others would be treated as commodities overseen by the CFTC. 

The bill would also create federal rules for crypto exchanges, brokers, and custodians, including asset segregation and market surveillance standards.

The legislation aims to replace the current enforcement-driven approach with clear statutory rules. That shift would give institutions and crypto firms a predictable compliance framework for operating in the US.

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However, support remains fragile. Some Democrats worry the bill weakens investor protections, while some Republicans oppose limits on stablecoin yields and DeFi. 

Also, industry groups have threatened to withdraw backing if late amendments restrict key business models.

As a result, Senate leaders are trying to avoid a failed vote that could push crypto legislation off the 2026 calendar.

By moving the Agriculture Committee markup to late January, lawmakers hope to renegotiate language and rebuild a working coalition. 

Whether that effort succeeds will decide if US crypto reform moves forward or slips into another year of gridlock.