The Senate Banking Committee, led by Tim Scott, delayed a scheduled vote on the CLARITY Act, a comprehensive crypto market bill, due to widespread criticism and emerging amendments.
Postponement reflects complex legislative dynamics, with key industry figures expressing divergent views on potential impacts on market structure, innovation, and regulatory clarity.
The Senate Banking Committee has postponed a critical vote on the crypto market infrastructure bill, CLARITY Act, previously scheduled for January 15, 2026. This decision follows recommendations from Senator Cynthia Lummis and other influential voices in the crypto sector.
The postponed CLARITY Act vote impacts major crypto stakeholders like Coinbase and Kraken while echoing historical financial reforms, sparking industry debates over market stability and legislative clarity.
Vote Postponement of CLARITY Act Stirs Controversy
The Senate Banking Committee has postponed a critical vote on the crypto market infrastructure bill, CLARITY Act, previously scheduled for January 15, 2026. This decision follows recommendations from Senator Cynthia Lummis and other influential voices in the crypto sector.
Committee Chair Tim Scott postponed the markup following Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s withdrawal of support, citing draft issues. Tim Draper expressed concerns over banking influences. Senator Elizabeth Warren proposed amendments against developer protections.
Stakeholder Impacts: Coinbase and Kraken Respond
The bill’s delay affects multiple stakeholders like Coinbase and Kraken. While some industry leaders favor ongoing discussions, others, including Ryan Rasmussen of Bitwise, prefer no legislation to flawed regulation, citing negative impacts on innovation.
Potential effects include hindrances to tokenization and AML/DeFi measures. Brad Garlinghouse of Ripple supports legislative clarity over market chaos, urging a focus on balanced frameworks. Existing infrastructures like Layer 1/ERC-20 assets could see market tension.
Clarity beats chaos, and this bill’s success is crypto’s success. — Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple
Bipartisan Challenges Echo Historical Financial Reforms
The CLARITY Act echoes past adjustments like the 1933/1934 Acts in addressing competitive tensions. Such historical precedents highlight bank resistance to similar legislative measures, prompting present-day parallels in financial regulations.
Experts from Galaxy Digital foresee eventual bill passage, despite postponements, emphasizing bipartisan efforts. Arjun Sethi warns that avoiding legislation could maintain ongoing uncertainty and hamper crypto market growth through inaction.
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