US President Donald Trump renewed his push for the CLARITY Act on Wednesday, urging Congress to approve a "fair version" of the cryptocurrency market structure bill. Speaking at the White House with representatives of the crypto business and regulators present, Trump argued that clearer regulation would maintain the United States' worldwide leadership in relation to China.

The bill would create a federal framework for the regulation of digital assets, clearly defining the responsibilities of the SEC and CFTC. That boundary has been contested for years, because whether a digital asset is treated as a security or a commodity determines which registration, disclosure and trading rules apply to issuers and platforms. The House of Representatives approved the draft in July 2025, but negotiations in the Senate stalled over disputes including the regulation of tokenized equities, stablecoin reward schemes, illegal financing issues, and ethics problems.

The Senate is currently in its August recess, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune will schedule the procedural vote for September 15. Cloture requires 60 votes, meaning some Democratic support is needed. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said the draft could gather more than 60 votes and characterized it as critical for the development of the industry. The CLARITY Act is the market-structure half of a two-part federal crypto agenda that began with the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin law Trump signed in July 2025.

Political Pressure Builds Around the CLARITY Act

Trump's support comes in the middle of a debate about potential conflicts of interest, as the Trump family has many crypto projects. Reuters writes that in 2025, Trump's crypto ventures brought him more than $1.4 billion. Democrats demand the adoption of stricter ethical guarantees. As Ruben Gallego argues, Congress, not the President, should decide about the necessary restrictions.

The White House meeting underscored how influential the crypto industry has become in Washington. Executives from Coinbase, Ripple, Robinhood, Kraken and other firms have pressed lawmakers for rules, while industry groups and political committees have spent heavily on advocacy. The outcome could affect exchanges, token issuers, investors and blockchain developers.

Regulators Move Ahead Without Congress

Regulatory agencies are not waiting for lawmakers. The SEC has advanced proposals involving crypto token offerings and potential safe-harbor treatment, while the CFTC is using its Innovation Advisory Committee to examine technology, markets and digital-asset policy. Those initiatives could provide interim clarity but would not replace a comprehensive congressional framework.

For markets, the political push carries significance. Bitcoin rose above $68,000 on Wednesday, while shares of Coinbase, Strategy and Circle also gained as investors responded to regulatory optimism. The next major test comes September 15, when the Senate returns and faces the 60-vote threshold; if the Senate passes a version of its own, it would still need to be reconciled with the House bill before the legislation could reach Trump's desk. Until then, negotiations over the CLARITY Act, ethics provisions and regulatory responsibilities will remain central to the US crypto policy debate.