Donald Trump agrees to new ethics rules to advance crypto bill, but hurdles remain

President Donald Trump had been hearing the message loud and clear for weeks about the sweeping cryptocurrency bill being written in the Senate: to get it across the line, he would have to agree to ethics provisions that apply to him, too.

First, Mr. Trump agreed to a measure that would bar him and his wife from issuing the types of meme coins that they swiftly launched as he prepared to return to the White House for a second time. And then another concession came late Sunday (September 13, 2026), when Republicans said Mr. Trump consented to a tougher ethics proposal that several key senators had demanded.

Now, a pivotal Senate vote on the cryptocurrency bill on Tuesday (September 15) could mark a watershed moment for the $2.3 trillion market — but it hinges mainly on whether those sign-offs from Mr. Trump go far enough. That vote could determine whether Washington cements crypto’s legitimacy into law or whether a frustrated, deep-pocketed industry unleashes even more campaign cash in the midterm elections.

“A vote against the Clarity Act isn't a principled stand against President Trump," Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, the lead author of the crypto bill, told The Associated Press. "It's a vote against implementing tough restrictions on politicians for crypto investments.”