Yeliz Akmaca 
The U.S. Senate has delayed the CLARITY Act once again, pushing the timeline for a comprehensive crypto law into 2026. Lawmakers confirmed the bill will not reach a vote in 2025. Senate committees plan to resume formal work early next year.
The decision reinforces regulatory uncertainty across crypto markets. Ongoing disputes over DeFi oversight and market supervision continue to block consensus. Investors are actively pricing in U.S.-driven regulatory risk as clarity slips further away.
Why it matters?
The CLARITY Act aims to define how crypto assets are regulated and which agencies hold authority. Delays keep institutional caution elevated and sustain uncertainty premiums across digital asset markets.
Why the CLARITY Act Will Not Pass in 2025
Senator John Kennedy, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, said the bill is not ready for a final vote. He noted progress in negotiations but emphasized that key disagreements remain unresolved. As a result, the Senate lacks the support needed to advance the legislation.
Lawmakers originally targeted a vote later this year. However, committee markups were postponed again. The earliest realistic window for action now points to January 2026, extending the regulatory timeline by at least another year.
Tim Scott Confirms the Revised Timeline
Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott confirmed that work on the CLARITY Act will restart in early 2026. He said the Senate and House versions carry different names but function as a single crypto market structure framework.
Scott accused Democrats of deliberately slowing the process. He argued that political resistance has effectively frozen progress. Despite this, he maintained optimism that the Senate could consider a vote early next year.
DeFi Disputes and Political Tensions Intensify
While bipartisan support exists for clearer crypto rules, DeFi regulation remains deeply divisive. In October, Senate Democrats introduced proposals requiring identity verification and strict anti-money-laundering compliance for DeFi platforms. The industry strongly opposed the move.
Republican lawmakers warned that such requirements could cripple DeFi activity in the United States. At the same time, some Democrats argue that advancing crypto legislation would legitimize business ventures linked to President Donald Trump.
These include a Trump-branded meme coin, the World Liberty Financial DeFi project, and American Bitcoin, a mining firm co-founded by Eric and Donald Trump Jr. Representative Maxine Waters previously said passing these bills would make Congress complicit in what she described as presidential crypto corruption.
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