Blockchain Association CEO Urges Congress Not to Derail Crypto Bill Over Ethics Dispute
The U.S. Congress has stepped up efforts in recent years to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which seeks to establish a clear regulatory framework for cryptocurrency markets. The bill’s progress is crucial to the global digital-asset industry because it would clarify the respective jurisdictions of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. However, ethics rules for market participants and anti-money laundering provisions have long been points of contention between the two parties, delaying the legislative process.
Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger said the bill’s main provisions were nearly complete. She publicly urged lawmakers not to discard the work on the rest of the legislation because of disputes over ethics rules. Following a breakthrough in bipartisan negotiations, the bill could go to a Senate vote as early as the week of July 20, 2026. The pivotal development will directly shape the future strength of U.S. cryptocurrency market regulation.
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The history behind this eventBlockchain Association Urges Senate to Pass CLARITY Act
The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act would establish a federal framework for U.S. crypto markets, dividing oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission while imposing registration, customer-asset segregation and disclosure rules on platforms serving Americans. The measure matters because the United States still lacks a comprehensive regime for digital assets. The House passed H.R. 3633 by 294-134 on July 17, 2025, putting the focus on whether the Senate can complete the framework.
Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger said on August 21, 2026, that reopening negotiated language could sink the bill before the Senate’s September 15 vote on whether to begin debate, which requires 60 votes. Fewer than three working weeks would then remain before the fall spending battle crowds out legislation. She rejected American Bankers Association proposals to use “substantially similar to interest” and delete “solely” from stablecoin-rewards provisions, calling them substantive changes. Mersinger also said U.S. bank deposits have risen by more than $800 billion over three consecutive quarters since the GENIUS Act passed.
U.S. CLARITY Act Talks Break Down as Blockchain Provision Emerges as Key Sticking Point
The CLARITY Act aims to clarify how oversight of crypto assets is divided between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The dispute centers on whether the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, or BRCA, should exempt DeFi developers who do not control user assets, determining whether software developers must assume the responsibilities of financial intermediaries.
As of July 19, 2026, bipartisan Senate negotiations had broken down over an amendment providing a BRCA enforcement exemption, despite claims that lawmakers had reached 99% agreement. The legislative window is only about eight weeks. The White House will hold talks with law enforcement groups, but no compromise has emerged on the key provision. The bill could move to separate votes by the two parties, making it unlikely to clear the Senate threshold.
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