US Senate committee advances CLARITY Act

The CLARITY Act took a step forward after the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee approved its portion of the crypto market structure bill during a markup session.

The committee passed the Digital Products Intermediaries Act by a narrow 12-11 vote, with Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats voting against it. This is the first time a Senate committee has advanced a portion of the CLARITY Act, which aims to bring clearer rules to the U.S. crypto industry.

The section approved by the Agriculture Committee is primarily intended to give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) more power to regulate crypto assets and intermediaries that are treated like commodities. Lawmakers discussed several amendments during markup, but none gained bipartisan support.

🚨BREAKING: Market structure legislation advances, marking a crucial first step in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/sKg9D2NzrN

– Senate Agriculture Committee Republicans (@SenateAgGOP) January 29, 2026

The next step in the process now moves to the Senate Banking Committee, which is charged with reviewing the remaining portion of the CLARITY Act. However, the Banking Committee is not expected to maintain its mark-up rate until late February or March, meaning progress could slow in the short term.

CLARITY Act faces ethical debate as White House steps in

There are also concerns that a possible U.S. government shutdown by the end of the week could further delay the legislative process, although negotiations are reportedly underway to avoid a prolonged shutdown. The bill also received a boost after reports that the White House is considering intervening to help resolve disagreements between banks and crypto companies, particularly over the provision banning stablecoin yield.

The White House is expected to meet with leaders from both industries next week, raising hopes that a compromise could be reached before the Banking Committee begins its review. Despite this progress, ethical concerns remain a major issue for Democrats. Lawmakers have raised objections to the lack of provisions addressing former President Donald Trump’s ties to crypto-related companies.

Senator Michael Bennet proposed an amendment to prevent high-ranking government officials and their families from having direct crypto ties, but the committee rejected it.

Related articles:

Best Wallet – Diversify your crypto portfolio

• Easy-to-use, feature-driven crypto wallet
• Get Early Access to Upcoming Token ICOs
• Multi-chain, multi-wallet, non-custodial
• Now on App Store, Google Play
• Stake to win a $BEST native token
• More than 250,000 active users per month