The CLARITY Act stayed stalled in the Senate after Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on several unrelated bills instead of the crypto market structure legislation, a sign no bipartisan deal is in place yet. Senator Cynthia Lummis says Democrats will be to blame if the bill fails before recess, while prediction markets grow more cautious on its odds of passing.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune bypassed the CLARITY Act on Tuesday, filing cloture on a string of unrelated bills rather than the crypto market structure legislation, with negotiations on the bill still under way. The move left the bill without a cloture filing, the procedural step the Senate needs before it can start the countdown to a first vote.
Thune Advances Other Bills While Clarity Waits
The Senate Cloakroom reported that Thune sought cloture on the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 and the nomination of Todd Blanche for U.S. Attorney General rather than on the CLARITY Act. He also filed cloture on the Continuing Resolution, H.R. 6500, and the nomination of Erica Schwartz to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett flagged the filing on the college sports bill, noting it points to a continued lack of bipartisan agreement on the CLARITY Act, even as lawmakers await any movement on the bill this week.
Prediction Markets Turn More Cautious
Traders have grown more conservative on the bill's chances. Kalshi now gives the CLARITY Act a 41% chance of enactment before July 1, 2027, rising to 58% before October 1, 2027 and 65% before January 1, 2028 — odds implying the bill won't pass in 2026.
Lummis Says Democrats Will Own a Failed Bill
Speaking to Fox Business Wednesday, Lummis said Democrats would be responsible if the bill fails: "If it dies, it's going to be because the Democrats kill it." She added that she has spent 11 months trying to accommodate Democratic demands on the bill.
The deadlock partly stems from banking-industry pushback over letting crypto firms offer clients stablecoin yield. An updated version introduced in July added an ethics provision barring government officials and their families from issuing or promoting crypto, after Democrats criticized President Trump's family crypto ventures. Major financial institutions including Fidelity and BlackRock have backed the revised bill, though a group of Democrats said in July that it still needs work.
The White House has said there are no conflicts of interest in the president's family crypto ventures.
Sources: CoinGape, Bitcoin Magazine
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