US Crypto Regulation Bill Delayed Again, CLARITY Act May Be Postponed Until Before Midterm Elections Amid Continued Maneuvering

TechFlow reports, August 8, the US Senate has delayed the vote on the cryptocurrency market structure bill "CLARITY Act" until after the five-week summer recess ends, increasing the difficulty of completing legislation for the bill in the short term.

The "CLARITY Act" previously received bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, aiming to establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets, clarify the responsibilities of different regulatory agencies, and promote the further integration of crypto assets into the US financial system.

North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis stated that due to the vote delay until September, the probability of the bill's final passage "may have decreased by 50%". Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, who is leading the negotiations, stated that relevant discussions have lasted nearly 11 months, the bill text has increased by about 300 pages, and addressed a large number of amendment requests proposed by Democrats, so it should now enter the voting stage.

Currently, Democrats still oppose the existing version, with the main divergence focusing on clauses restricting government officials' crypto asset interests. Democrats believe the current version does not sufficiently restrict federal officials from investing in and promoting crypto assets, nor does it require relevant personnel to completely exit related holdings, while also hoping to grant state attorneys general stronger enforcement authority.

Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers previously pushed to add stricter ethical regulatory clauses, but relevant negotiations are still ongoing. Democrats are particularly concerned about the interest connections between Trump and his family and crypto projects such as World Liberty Financial.

Previously, the crypto industry hoped the Senate could advance procedural voting before the summer recess, in order to adjust political spending during the 2026 midterm elections based on legislative progress. Data shows that the crypto industry's major political action committee Fairshake held nearly $200 million in cash reserves at the beginning of this cycle.