Democrats Submit a Counterproposal on the CLARITY Act in the Senate

Democrats in the U.S. Senate have sent a counterproposal on the CLARITY Act ahead of the procedural vote on September 15 at 21:15 Kyiv time. This matters for traders, investors, and companies working with digital assets.

This was reported by Politico, citing sources familiar with the negotiations. The details of the document have not yet been disclosed. A new round of talks began after the final version of the bill was published on September 14.

The CLARITY Act itself already passed the House of Representatives on July 17, 2025. At that time, 294 lawmakers voted for it and 134 voted against. The vote included 216 Republicans and 78 Democrats. This shows the issue has long gone beyond a single party.

Why is the dispute over the CLARITY Act so heated?

The main dispute now is not only about the market. Democrats are most concerned about how the bill sets out ethical restrictions for senior officials linked to the crypto business.

According to CoinDesk, some Democrats считают these concessions too weak. They are concerned that state attorneys general will not be able to directly launch an investigation against the U.S. president, and that the Office of Government Ethics will be able to make exceptions for certain officials. That is why the talks have moved into political territory, not just technical one.

In the Senate, this is clearly visible in the positions within the caucus itself. Mark Warner confirmed that Democrats prepared their own counterproposal. And Gillibrand, who worked on crypto regulation, is calling for the bill to pass the procedural stage first and only then for amendments to be made. That is where the decision will be made on whether the document moves forward.

What does this vote mean for the crypto market?

For the market, this is not just a formality. If the procedural vote fails, the bill could be delayed for a long time. If it passes, the Senate will be able to move on to the next stages of review and amendments.

Amid this topic, the U.S. and global crypto market are valued at $2.3 trillion, AP writes. Bitcoin was then trading near $76,394, while Ethereum was at $2,422. Both assets posted daily declines: about 3.0% for Bitcoin and 4.2% for Ethereum.

"Republicans have already made significant concessions and do not plan to seriously rewrite the text," said Senator Cynthia Lummis.

This statement matters. It means there is little room for new compromises. So September 15 will be a test of whether both parties are ready to move forward.

Another signal came from prediction markets. According to CoinDesk, the odds of the CLARITY Act on Polymarket fell to 14% on September 15 from about 30% the day before. On Kalshi, the probability of a crypto market bill being passed by October 1, 2027, dropped to 36% from 53%. This is no longer noise, but a noticeable cooling of expectations.

• Democrats submitted a counterproposal ahead of the September 15 vote.

• The final version of the CLARITY Act appeared on September 14.

• The bill has already received 294 votes in favor in the House of Representatives.

• At least 60 votes are needed to advance in the Senate.

• The key dispute concerns ethical restrictions for officials.

• Prediction-market odds of success have clearly declined.

What does this mean for investors?

For investors, the main issue now is pace. If the procedural vote fails, the market will face another prolonged period of uncertainty. If it passes, there will be a chance for a new round of amendments and more substantive movement on the bill.

For businesses in the U.S., the stakes are even higher. The CLARITY Act is supposed to establish a federal framework for regulating digital assets and divide authority among regulators. Without this, companies find it difficult to plan product launches, and investors struggle to assess the rules of the game.

There is also a broader political context. According to the annual disclosure, in 2025 Donald Trump received nearly $1.2 billion from crypto businesses. That is why Democrats are so firmly pressing the issue of conflicts of interest. For them, this is not an abstract amendment, but a way to show that the law is not being written for one political figure.

And one more point. 18 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia have already urged Congress not to support the CLARITY Act. Their letter cites $11.4 billion in losses from crypto complaints in 2025. So the resistance is not coming only from Democrats in the Senate. There are also states, banks, and other pressure groups.

For Ukrainian readers, the conclusion is simple. If the U.S. adopts clear rules, the market will become more predictable. And when rules are delayed, price reactions often come in bursts. If you need to quickly sell Bitcoin on Monobank, you can do it without extra steps.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Senate voting on the CLARITY Act?

The procedural vote is scheduled for September 15 at 21:15 Kyiv time. At least 60 votes are needed for success. That is why support from part of the Democrats is critically important.

Why did Democrats not agree to the final version?

They are unhappy with the ethical restrictions for officials linked to the crypto business. There are also questions about how the law will work regarding the U.S. president and exceptions from the Office of Government Ethics.

What happens if the vote fails?

Then the CLARITY Act could get stuck in the Senate for a long time. If the stage passes, the bill will get a chance for further review and new amendments.

Right now everything comes down to 60 votes and political discipline. The market has already felt it.

This material is not financial advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves significant risks. Part of this text was prepared with the help of artificial intelligence based on public sources and reviewed by our editorial team.