CLARITY Act Advances with Ethics Compromise
The CLARITY Act, a comprehensive crypto market-structure bill, has moved substantially closer to passage following White House negotiations with Senate Democrats over ethics provisions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized the legislation as at the "1-yard line," while unnamed Senate negotiators stated the bill is "almost there." The administration circulated details of conflict-of-interest limits that President Trump agreed to with Republican negotiators, though full details of the agreement remain undisclosed.
Democratic resistance centered on ethics safeguards in the legislation, prompting White House officials to press Senate Democrats to accept the proposed framework. The White House has framed the ethics deal as "historic," though specifics regarding presidential restrictions tied to the agreement have not been publicly revealed. Negotiations are entering their final phase before Congress' August recess deadline.
Regulatory Scope and International Enforcement Actions
The CLARITY Act is expected to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) additional authority to regulate prediction markets, which have experienced explosive growth. According to testimony before a House subcommittee hearing, the legislation could provide the regulatory clarity needed for the CFTC to address this market segment more effectively.
Beyond domestic rulemaking, the Trump administration's Treasury Department has expanded crypto asset enforcement internationally. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced the freeze of a $130 million cryptocurrency wallet linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), part of broader efforts to track and seize assets tied to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This action demonstrates the administration's use of crypto enforcement as a tool in economic sanctions and geopolitical strategy.
This article was written by our AI pipeline from aggregated headlines and live market data. Not financial advice.
AI Desk
Daily roundups drafted by our AI pipeline from aggregated headlines and live market data, reviewed by editors before publishing.

