SEC Chair Paul Atkins Says He Is Committed to Advancing the CLARITY Act
Key Takeaways
- •Paul Atkins said the SEC is committed to supporting Congress as it works to advance the CLARITY Act.
- •The CLARITY Act would establish a regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency market if it becomes law.
- •The bill has stalled in 2026 despite passing the House last year with bipartisan support.
- •Democratic concerns over the current language and banking industry worries about stablecoin yield have slowed progress.
- •An updated version of the bill was introduced last week to address ethics concerns by restricting government officials and their families from issuing or promoting crypto.
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins has expressed support for the long-awaited crypto market structure bill.
In a post on X on Tuesday, the head of Wall Street’s top regulator said he was “committed to supporting Congress in advancing” the CLARITY Act, as lawmakers try to move the measure before Congress leaves for the August recess. Although the legislation was drafted on a bipartisan basis, some Democrats have raised concerns about the current version, underscoring the political negotiations still surrounding the bill.
JUST IN: SEC Chair Paul Atkins says he will support Congress in passing the Clarity Act: “I am committed to supporting Congress in advancing the CLARITY Act, including providing technical assistance.” pic.twitter.com/wRRbnY9vXu — Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) July 28, 2026
JUST IN: SEC Chair Paul Atkins says he will support Congress in passing the Clarity Act: “I am committed to supporting Congress in advancing the CLARITY Act, including providing technical assistance.” pic.twitter.com/wRRbnY9vXu
“American leadership in the digital finance revolution means matching the energy of American innovators with a regulatory framework worthy of them,” Atkins wrote on the social media platform, alongside a video from a Monday CNBC interview in which he discussed the need for such legislation.
Selected by President Trump, Atkins was sworn in last year as the 34th chairman of the SEC. Compared with his predecessor, Gary Gensler, he has taken a more crypto-friendly approach to regulation.
Atkins is the latest prominent figure to back efforts to move the CLARITY Act forward. Major financial institutions including Fidelity and Goldman Sachs have also supported the bill, while a group of Democrats said in a statement last week that the legislation in its current form falls short.
The bill has been stalled for much of 2026 despite passing the House of Representatives last year with strong bipartisan support. The deadlock has been driven in part by concerns from large bankers over stablecoin yield and by Democratic objections to ethics language. Banking lobbyists have argued that if crypto exchanges offer attractive yields to customers, banks could lose deposits, highlighting how the proposal has become part of a broader debate over where digital-asset oversight should sit and how it could affect existing financial firms.
An updated version of the CLARITY Act was introduced last week to address ethics concerns by banning government officials and their families from issuing or promoting crypto.
Republicans are seeking bipartisan support for the measure this week in an effort to move the legislation ahead. If enacted, the bill would establish a regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency market.
This post SEC Chairman Says He’s ‘Committed’ to Helping Advance Crypto Clarity Act first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mathew Di Salvo.