The Clarity Act cleared the Senate Banking Committee 15 to 9 on Thursday, sending Bitcoin above $82,000 for the first time in weeks.
Summary
- The Senate Banking Committee advanced the Clarification Act by a vote of 15 to 9, with two Democrats crossing the aisle to support the bill.
- Bitcoin rose above $82,000 following the committee’s vote before retreating to around $81,500, up about 2.5% on the day.
- Unsettled ethics provisions and the Senate’s 60-vote floor remain as the bill moves to a full Senate vote before the May 21 recess.
The Clarity Act passed the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday with a bipartisan vote of 15 to 9, clearing a key legislative gate for the most important crypto market structure bill in US history. Bitcoin (BTC) rose above $82,000 following the vote before retreating slightly to around $81,500, up about 2.5% on the day.
Two Democratic senators crossed paths to support the bill along with all 13 Republicans on the committee. Chairman Tim Scott described getting all 13 Republican votes as a “red zone,” with Senator John Kennedy withholding support in the days leading up to the session.
Cody Carbone, head of the Digital Chamber, told reporters that the unresolved ethics provision regarding lawmakers trading crypto tokens remains a potential hurdle before the floor vote. “I think the deal will be finalized before this goes down, because they will only want to go down if they feel confident that they have 60,” Carbone said.
What the Clarity Act does
The Digital Asset Market Transparency Act, which already passed the House 294 to 134 in July 2025, would draw a legal line between the SEC and the CFTC. Digital assets will fall under the supervision of the CFTC and digital securities will remain under the SEC, ending years of regulatory uncertainty that has stifled institutional flows in US crypto markets.
The bill still needs 60 votes on the Senate floor, reconciliation with the Senate Agriculture Committee version, and compliance with the House text before reaching the president’s desk. The full 309-page bill text is available at congress.gov. Senators Lummis and Moreno both warned that missing the May 21 Memorial Day deadline could push the legislation’s next effective window to 2030.
White House counsel Patrick Witt indicated that the administration would not accept the ethics provisions directed at the president, adding another layer of negotiations before the vote could proceed. Democratic senators have linked their support to a broader code of ethics language that includes all lawmakers and officials.
Coinbase VP Kara Calvert said at Consensus 2026 that bipartisan support is non-negotiable and the bill needs at least 60 votes to advance. For Bitcoin, which is now trading at around $81,500, the committee’s vote serves primarily as a signal of confidence.
The bill’s relevance to BTC is less about asset allocation and more about what the settled US digital asset framework does to demand institutional risk across the broader market.
