Trump Backs Crypto Ethics Provisions Ahead of Senate Vote

President Donald Trump agreed to accept key ethics provisions in landmark cryptocurrency legislation ahead of a pivotal Senate vote on September 13, 2026. The consensus followed demands from Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Ruben Gallego, who insisted on expanding oversight to address conflict-of-interest concerns regarding digital assets.

The initial draft prohibited federally elected officials, their spouses, and federal judges from issuing digital assets. However, lawmakers required stronger enforcement power for state attorneys general before providing the votes needed to advance the bill.

According to three leading Republican senators, the compromise grants state attorneys general a meaningful role in enforcing the proposed law. At every step of the way during the Clarity Act negotiations, the White House and Senate Republicans have been responsive to Democrats' stated policy objectives, said Patrick Witt, the White House crypto adviser.

The revised text requires covered officials to divest or place in a blind trust any significant financial interest in cryptocurrency-issuing entities, while also empowering state attorneys general to sue exchanges listing prohibited digital assets. A senior GOP aide stated anonymously that the president accepted roughly 80 percent of the proposal submitted by Tillis and Gallego.