Republican and Democratic senators have put forward new ethics rules for the CLARITY Act. At the same time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is urging the Senate to vote on the crypto market structure bill before the August recess. The changes are meant to address Democratic concerns about ethics enforcement, which has been a major obstacle to bipartisan support. Bessent defended the bill against criticism and warned that any delay could hurt America’s leadership in the global digital asset industry.
Punchbowl News reports that Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego have sent a revised ethics proposal to the White House as talks on the CLARITY Act continue. The changes would let state authorities enforce restrictions on federal officials issuing or sponsoring digital tokens, instead of leaving all responsibility with the U.S. Attorney General.
In the Senate, ethics regulations have been a hot topic of discussion. Market integrity, consumer protection, illegal funding and conflicts of interest were not adequately addressed in the initial draft, according to several Democrats.
Despite having a 52-47 Senate majority, Republicans still need the backing of Democrats, whom the latest approach may assist win over. Both parties must cooperate since most laws require 60 votes to succeed. Some Democrats have also said they will not back the bill if it seems to protect President Donald Trump’s influence in the crypto industry.
More than a year ago, the House passed the Clarity Act.
There’s been progress since — thousands of hours of bipartisan negotiations took place at the staff and Member levels. The Senate Committees on Banking and Agriculture advanced their respective titles. And Senate…
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) July 30, 2026
Adding urgency to the debate, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly called on senators to hold a vote before the upcoming congressional recess. In a post on X, Bessent urged the Senate to vote on the CLARITY Act “now,” arguing that further delays could leave the United States behind in the rapidly evolving digital asset sector.
Bessent also pushed back against criticism of the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), which is another debated part of the larger bill. Some prosecutors and law enforcement officials worry that this part could make it harder to fight illicit finance. But Bessent said it only puts into law the Treasury Department’s long-standing view that non-custodial blockchain developers and software builders do not have to register under the Bank Secrecy Act.
He also rejected claims that the bill does not have enough consumer protections. Bessent said that Titles II and III of the CLARITY Act make regulatory and compliance rules for digital asset intermediaries much stronger, bringing them closer to the standards used for traditional financial institutions.
The Treasury Secretary also pointed out that more groups now support the bill. The Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Fraternal Order of Police, who had concerns before, now back the latest version. Still, some prosecutors want more changes to the BRCA part before they give full support.
Talks between lawmakers and the White House are expected to continue in the next few days. If the new ethics package is approved, it could remove one of the main obstacles to a Senate vote. It can also bring the CLARITY Act closer to becoming the first comprehensive crypto market structure law in the United States.
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