US Senate Delays CLARITY Act Vote Until September at the Earliest

The US Senate is set to begin its August recess on August 10 without voting on the CLARITY Act, meaning that the Senate will not be considering the long-expected crypto market structure legislation until mid-September at the earliest.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed the delay and that consideration of the bill would be made a priority when senators return.

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, more commonly known as the CLARITY Act, would introduce a federal regulatory framework for US digital asset markets and define how responsibility for overseeing the digital asset sector is divided between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The House passed the bill over a year ago in July 2025. Since then, however, it has faced considerable debate over issues such as investor protections, illicit finance, and ethics. 

The postponement comes despite Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott just a day earlier expressing confidence that the chamber could hold an initial vote before the recess.

The Senate Banking Committee approved a revised version of the bill back in May 2026.

Republicans are believed to remain short of the Democratic support likely needed to reach the 60-vote threshold for advancing the legislation past a potential filibuster. 

The Senate will be left with only three weeks in session after its return on September 14 before lawmakers depart to campaign ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, further narrowing the window for the bill to pass this year.