Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong predicts that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (H.R. 3633) will receive more than 60 votes of support in the U.S. Senate on September 15. This number is an absolute requirement for the Senate to approve a “cloture” motion so that the crypto bill can be debated.
Although the head of the largest crypto exchange in the U.S. is optimistic, this claim is purely an industry projection and there has been no official confirmation of numbers from Capitol Hill.
Scrambling for Seven Decisive Votes
The path of the CLARITY Act is still marked by tight political calculations. The vote, scheduled for 2:15 PM Eastern, is not final passage, but merely permission to open the door for debate.
Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats. To reach the minimum threshold of 60 cloture votes, at least seven Democratic senators must break ranks and offer their support. Even if this initial hurdle is cleared, the process is far from over. The Senate has introduced several amendments since the draft bill was approved by the Senate Banking Committee with a 15-9 vote on May 14, 2026.
Given that the U.S. House of Representatives already passed an earlier version with an overwhelming 294-134 vote in July 2025, both legislative chambers must now reconcile their drafts. The bill can only be sent to the president’s desk if the House and Senate approve text that is 100% identical without a single word of difference.
Targeting Anti-Regime Rules
In a television interview with CBS last Saturday, Armstrong criticized the status quo of U.S. regulation. He assessed that the current conditions fail to provide certainty and instead leave consumers exposed to harmful products.
According to him, the CLARITY Act offers real consumer protection from practices of “bad government or overreach”. Unlike agency-level rules that are easily overhauled with every change of regime, written legislation provides legal certainty that cannot be unilaterally overturned by a new administration.
The price of Bitcoin rose 5.9% and Ethereum gained 2.8% on the day Armstrong’s interview aired. However, it is difficult to measure whether this increase was driven purely by sentiment around the legislation amid other market movements.
Backup Plan in the White House
Uncertainty in the Senate has forced many parties to prepare alternative plans. On August 19, President Trump called Armstrong along with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Kraken executive Arjun Sethi, and federal regulators to discuss the direction of policy during a special meeting at the White House.
A day before the meeting, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took independent action by proposing “Regulation Crypto Assets”. This proposal is just starting the long rulemaking process and will not be effective anytime soon. On the other hand, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig emphasized that his agency is ready to use its existing authority, regardless of whether the new legislation passes.
Armstrong indicated that if the Senate blocks the bill, the SEC and CFTC could release a package of secondary regulations on September 16. He was quick to point out that enforcement agency actions still cannot replace the solid authority of a formal piece of legislation.
The debate over the draft bill itself is not yet fully settled. There are still several clauses causing back-and-forth negotiations, including anti-money laundering (AML) provisions, clear protections for the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector, stablecoin yield regulations, and ethics clauses for government officials. The ethics rule is a particular hurdle as it relates directly to the Trump family’s activities in the crypto space.
For industry players and crypto asset holders, next week is not just about the fate of a bill. This vote will prove how much lobbying power the industry has to penetrate political walls in Washington without sacrificing innovation. Reported by crypto.news.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
