America

2026

DeFi

Bitcoin

Senator Cynthia Lummis (<a href="https://x.com/SenLummis" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@SenLummis</a>) is sounding the alarm: every day the US Senate fails to act on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act is another day crypto firms consider building elsewhere.
<h2 id="a-bill-stuck-in-the-senate">A Bill Stuck in the Senate</h2>
<cite>The bill, formally named the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (H.R. 3633), passed the House in July 2025 with strong bipartisan support.</cite><cite>It provides the foundation for a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for cryptoasset markets, outlining responsibilities for consumer protection, preventing market manipulation, and delineating the roles of the CFTC and the SEC.</cite>
<cite>The US Senate has been considering draft versions of the CLARITY Act since its House vote, but the bill has run into procedural and political snags preventing it from facing a vote in the Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee.</cite><cite>Over 100 proposed amendments proved so contentious that Senator Scott opted to postpone the vote rather than risk failure.</cite> Points of friction include disagreements over stablecoin yield rules and how far DeFi developers should fall within regulatory reach.
<cite>Senator Lummis, chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, has called it Congress's top priority, stating: "Every corner of the industry is operating under legal uncertainty that Congress has the power to fix."</cite><cite>With the Senate Banking Committee eyeing the week of May 11 for markup, time is tightening ahead of the August recess.</cite>
<h2 id="a-global-race-for-crypto-capital">A Global Race for Crypto Capital</h2>
<cite>Proponents argue that continued delay risks capital flight, stifled innovation, and lost US leadership in digital assets.</cite><cite>Industry groups have pressed Senate leaders to move, warning that each delay adds regulatory uncertainty and pushes activity offshore.</cite>
The concern is not hypothetical. <cite>In the EU, the implementation of MiCA and the regulatory clarity it provides have given traditional financial institutions more confidence to move ahead with crypto and tokenization projects under a clearer, harmonized rulebook.</cite> Rival jurisdictions are actively positioning themselves to attract the talent and capital that US inaction leaves on the table.
<cite>Pressure has been mounting on key sponsors to move the legislation forward, as the Act risks long-term delay or failure if it cannot progress ahead of the November 2026 US midterm elections.</cite><cite>Missing important deadlines could delay crypto legislation for the foreseeable future, or even push it to 2030, according to Senator Lummis.</cite>
The stakes extend beyond the industry. <cite>Passing the CLARITY Act has been a fundamental pillar of President Trump's strategy for establishing US leadership in digital asset innovation.</cite> Whether Congress can deliver before the legislative window closes remains the defining question for US crypto policy in 2026.
Sources: <a href="https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/05/06/senator-lummis-declares-clarity-act-the-priority-amid-fresh-banking-divide/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Crypto Times: Senator Lummis Declares CLARITY Act "The Priority"</a> <a href="https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/senator-lummis-puts-congress-on-the-clock" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bitcoin Magazine: Senator Lummis Puts Congress On The Clock</a> <a href="https://www.elliptic.co/blog/crypto-regulatory-affairs-clarity-act-senate-delay-creates-uncertainty" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Elliptic: CLARITY Act Senate Delay Creates Uncertainty</a>

Clarity Act Delays Could Push Crypto Firms Out Of America

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