U.S. Senate Sets Sept. 15 Cloture Vote on Clarity Act, Could Shift Crypto Oversight to CFTC

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The U.S. Senate has scheduled a cloture vote on the Clarity Act for September 15, with CFT (Countering the Financing of Terrorism) concerns tied to stablecoin yield rules still unresolved. The bill, if passed, would realign crypto oversight under the CFTC, affecting risk-on assets. Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed the motion, but the bill needs six Democratic votes to pass. Key issues left include illicit-finance safeguards and ethics rules around Trump’s crypto holdings.

The Senate has taken its first formal step toward a floor vote on the Clarity Act, setting up a key procedural test for mid-September that could reshape U.S. crypto regulation. On Saturday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed a motion to proceed on H.R. 3633, opening the multi-step cloture process the chamber uses to overcome the 60-vote hurdle for contested bills. The move came too late to force a vote before the August recess, but it locks in the first procedural vote for 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 15 — signaling GOP leadership intends to make the bill an early priority when senators return. What the bill would do If enacted, the Clarity Act would create a formal legal framework for most crypto activity in the United States by drawing jurisdictional lines between the SEC and the CFTC, and placing much of the industry under the latter’s oversight. Supporters say that clarity would give traditional financial institutions more confidence to enter the market and could be a major boost for the sector. Why procedural filing matters (but isn’t final) The cloture filing is a procedural first step, not passage. Republicans still need roughly six Democratic crossovers to reach the 60 votes required — a gap that has persisted since the measure passed the Senate Banking Committee in May with just two Democrats in favor. Thune opted to push the vote past the August break after Democrats balked at advancing it this month. Outstanding issues to resolve Negotiators now have several weeks to try to bridge remaining disputes, including: - Illicit-finance and law-enforcement protections; - A contentious fight over stablecoin yield and rewards; and - Government-ethics provisions related to President Donald Trump’s crypto holdings — an addendum negotiated with the White House would require divestiture from crypto-related businesses, but the White House has not publicly weighed in yet. What happens next If the Senate clears the bill, it would return to the House for another vote before heading to the president. With the September window narrowing ahead of midterm campaigning, many lawmakers and market participants view the coming weeks as the last realistic chance this year for the Clarity Act to become law. Watch for the September 15 cloture vote, any last-minute concessions on the addendum, and whether Democrats coalesce to meet the 60-vote threshold.

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