#CLARITYActPassesSenateCommittee CLARITY Act Passes Senate Banking Committee in Historic 15-9 Vote, Setting Stage for Floor Fight

Washington D.C. – In a landmark move for U.S. crypto policy, the Senate Banking Committee voted 15-9 on Thursday to advance the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act to the full Senate floor . The vote represents the most significant congressional action on crypto market structure in U.S. history, aiming to end the decade-long jurisdictional war between the SEC and the CFTC .

However, despite the bipartisan committee victory, prediction markets immediately tempered expectations, signaling a rough road ahead as the bill heads toward a 60-vote threshold in the full Senate .

The End of the SEC ‘Chaos’

The legislation, which passed the House in July 2025 by a bipartisan vote of 294-134, seeks to replace the current "regulation by enforcement" model with statutory clarity . The 309-page bill draws a definitive line between securities and commodities, assigning the CFTC oversight of digital commodity trading while maintaining SEC authority over token sales .

"The CLARITY Act delivers the certainty, safeguards, and accountability Americans deserve," said Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) prior to the vote. The text includes provisions allowing banks to utilize blockchain technology for traditional activities and establishes federal rules for digital asset exchanges .

A key driver of Thursday's momentum was the Tillis-Alsobrooks compromise on stablecoins. The language bans passive "deposit-like" interest on stablecoin holdings—addressing banking lobby concerns—but explicitly permits activity-based rewards and transaction incentives . This compromise resolved a stalemate that had postponed the markup in January after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew support .

The 60-Vote Problem

While the committee vote succeeded with Republicans and two Democrats—Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)—joining forces, the celebration was muted .

Following the vote, Polymarket odds for the bill becoming law in 2026 rose only to 68% , well below February’s peak of 80% . The central issue remains the filibuster-proof 60-vote requirement in the full Senate.

Two major hurdles remain:

1. The Ethics Standoff: Democrats are demanding ethics language that would restrict government officials from profiting from crypto—a provision absent from the current draft and complicated by President Trump’s crypto holdings. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has stated she cannot support the bill without this language .
2. The Math: Republicans hold 53 seats. To reach 60, they need at least seven Democrats. Currently, only two have committed, and they have signaled their final votes are not guaranteed .

Market Implications

For the crypto market, the bill’s passage through committee is viewed as a major de-risking event. Analysts suggest that if the CLARITY Act becomes law, it would cement Bitcoin’s commodity status in statute and potentially unlock $4 to $8 billion in ETF inflows for assets like XRP .

"CLARITY Act is not a single 'bullish' or 'bearish' event, but a transition from a tech-competition to a financial-infrastructure competition," noted analysts following the vote, emphasizing that compliant exchanges like Coinbase stand to gain clear federal registration paths .

The White House has targeted July 4 for a signing ceremony, but the timeline is tight. The Senate is set to break for Memorial Day recess on May 21, leaving a narrow window for floor debate before summer .