CLARITY Act Timeline 2026: Every Delay, Every Vote, What Happens Next

The Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) was expected to become the foundation of U.S. crypto market-structure rules after its strong House passage in 2025. Instead, 2026 has been dominated by negotiations over DeFi, stablecoins, ethics provisions and enforcement powers. With the Senate now in August recess, September 15 is the next major test, but not a final passage vote.

2025: House Passage Sets the Stage

The CLARITY Act passed the House in July 2025 by 294-134, giving it strong bipartisan support.

The legislation then moved to the Senate, where negotiations began over issues including stablecoin yield, DeFi oversight and anti-money-laundering rules.

January 2026: First Delay

• A Senate Banking Committee markup scheduled for January 15 was postponed to the final week of the month.
• The goal was to build more bipartisan support and resolve disagreements before moving toward a Senate vote.

April 2026: Senate Action Expected

• By April, House Financial Services Chairman French Hill was calling the period ahead a critical window for Senate action. A Banking Committee markup was expected by the end of April, with floor consideration potentially following in May.
• That schedule slipped again.