CLARITY Act Faces Make-or-Break Senate Vote on September 15

The CLARITY Act is set to face a crucial vote in the Senate on September 15, where it will need 60 votes to pass. The bill has been making its way through Congress since July 2025, when it was passed by the House with a vote of 294 to 134.

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper has weighed in on the issue, calling the CLARITY Act a national security bill in an op-ed for the Financial Times. He argues that China and sanctioned networks gain ground every day the US delays clear crypto rules, putting the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency at risk.

The Senate Banking Committee advanced the bill in May 2026 with a vote of 15 to 9, but several issues remain unresolved, including ethics rules, bank lobbying, and illicit finance provisions. Research firm Galaxy Research has lowered its odds for the bill passing in 2026 to just 10 percent.

Without a win on September 15, the industry could face a mix of different rules from different agencies until at least 2027. The White House remains focused on getting the bill passed in September and has held meetings with regulators to discuss crypto rules.