CLARITY Act: the U.S. Senate sets crypto rules on September 15

CLARITY Act: the U.S. Senate sets crypto rules on September 15

The U.S. Senate will vote on September 15 on the CLARITY Act, the bill that will decide who oversees the cryptocurrency market in that country.

What the bill does

Today it is not clear which agency should oversee each cryptocurrency, and that legal doubt holds large companies back. The bill splits the work: the SEC would oversee cryptocurrencies that work like stocks, and the CFTC those that work like commodities, such as bitcoin.

It also creates clear rules for exchanges, brokers and stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies designed to always be worth the same, almost always one dollar.

What each side says

Coinbase chief executive Brian Armstrong told CNBC that the industry wins either way: if the bill passes there will be new rules, and if it does not, the SEC and the CFTC have already said they will publish their own rules. Armstrong added that the bill has support from both parties and also from banks, crypto companies and law enforcement groups.

What is still being negotiated are the ethics rules for elected officials who hold crypto. The White House offered a strong ethics provision and Democrats are asking for divestment as well.

Not everyone agrees. JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon criticized Coinbase for using the bill's stablecoin section to compete with banks. Armstrong replied that the bank is defending its own business and recalled that Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon and Fidelity back the bill. Banks and crypto companies, meanwhile, are lobbying senators in their home states.

The background

As the vote approaches, bitcoin keeps falling: it trades near $78,000, under pressure from high interest rates, expensive oil and money leaving bitcoin funds.

Sources: CoinDesk and Decrypt (United States), CriptoTendencia (Latin America), Portal do Bitcoin (Brazil). September 10, 2026.