David Sachs, serving as the White House advisor on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, reported important news. The Digital Assets Market Transparency Bill (CLARITY Act) is moving to the stage of line-by-line discussion in the U.S. Senate in January. This stage is a critically important step toward the final adoption of the document.
Sachs noted that Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott and Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman confirmed this schedule. Thus, conditions are being created for an official analysis and amendments before the general vote in the upper chamber. This event highlights the growing political will to regulate the industry.
The working order of the relevant committees at the beginning of the year
The update to the schedule indicates significant progress in advancing the initiative after the House of Representatives approved it earlier in 2025. Provided that deadlines are met, lawmakers will be able to prepare a reconciled version of the document within a year. As a result, the CLARITY Act will become the central law defining the structure of the cryptocurrency market in the USA.
During the discussion process, Senate committees will conduct a detailed examination of the text adopted by the House of Representatives. Senators will propose amendments, debate political compromises, and vote on changes. Only after that will the revised bill be submitted to the full Senate for consideration. Both the banking committee overseeing securities and the agriculture committee, which oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), will participate in the work.
The main task of lawmakers is to resolve the prolonged jurisdictional disputes between the SEC and the CFTC. Additionally, mechanisms to protect spot cryptocurrency markets are expected to be strengthened. Committee leaders expressed a desire to create a document capable of receiving bipartisan support. This will help avoid a return to strict regulatory methods based solely on enforcement practices.
Key areas for document adjustment
It is expected that amendments to the current version of the CLARITY Act will address three key areas. First of all, this is asset classification. In particular, clearer criteria will be required to determine when a token is considered a digital good and when it is a security. Clarity on this issue is necessary for the stable operation of businesses.
At the same time, senators may refine provisions regarding the preferential application of federal norms. This is necessary to limit the duplication of rules at the state level. At the same time, such measures should not weaken the powers of local authorities to prevent violations.
The impact of legislative changes on the industry in 2026
If the CLARITY Act comes into effect, it will radically alter the American market in 2026. Oversight of the spot markets for digital goods will be transferred to the CFTC, which will end years of legal uncertainty. Additionally, a unified federal registration regime for cryptocurrency exchanges, brokers, and dealers will be established.
For professional participants in the industry, this will mean a significant reduction in legal risks. A transparent legal framework will support the participation of institutional investors. At the same time, compliance will shift from the realm of litigation to a supervisory format based on clear rules.
Most importantly, this law will become the first comprehensive mechanism for regulating cryptocurrency trading in the USA as a whole. Such a step could potentially restore the country's competitiveness in the dispute with jurisdictions where clear rules are already in place.