The US Senate held a cloture vote on the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) on September 15, 2026, ending with 49 in favor and 50 against. That tally fell well short of the 60-vote threshold required to advance the bill to floor debate.
Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, the lead negotiator behind the draft, called the vote result likely final. She stated that there was no remaining room for negotiation with Democrats.
The Senate defeat practically closes the path for the CLARITY Act to pass in 2026. The Senate calendar leaves only 22 to 36 working days before the November midterm election campaigns dominate the entire political agenda. While Senate Majority Leader John Thune could potentially file a new cloture motion, such a move would still require bipartisan support.
Who Voted Against It?
The CLARITY Act was originally designed to establish federal regulations for digital assets and divide oversight between the SEC for securities and the CFTC for spot commodities. However, its contents ran into three key points of contention: a ban on yield-bearing stablecoins demanded by banking groups, conflict-of-interest ethics rules for officials including the vice president and federal judges, and protection standards for software developers.
Eight banking associations and 17 state attorneys general actively lobbied against the draft.
On the Democratic side, opposing votes came from Angela Alsobrooks, Ruben Gallego, and Kirsten Gillibrand. The Republican camp also contributed opposition through Susan Collins, Josh Hawley, Jerry Moran, and Thom Tillis.
Bitcoin Slips to $75,000, Industry Stocks in the Red
Markets reacted immediately to the vote results. Shares of Coinbase (COIN) dropped 9.9%, Circle fell 9.4%, followed by Galaxy Digital down 8%, Gemini 7%, and Robinhood 3%. In the Bitcoin mining sector, Riot Platforms fell 6%, CleanSpark nearly 5%, Hut 8 more than 4%, and IREN 4%.
Bitcoin briefly dipped near $75,000 before recovering to the $75,723-$76,000 range, recording a 3-4% decline over 24 hours. Total crypto market capitalization dropped to $2.6 trillion, mirroring losses in the Nasdaq and S&P 500 indices. Market pressure was compounded by a 92% implied probability of a 25-basis-point Fed rate hike ahead of the September 16 FOMC decision.
Scorecard Threat from Stand With Crypto
The Coinbase-backed advocacy group Stand With Crypto plans to add the senators’ voting records to its scorecard. This voting data will be used to pressure opposing lawmakers ahead of the November midterm elections.
The 49-50 outcome fell far short of projections by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. He previously believed the bill would secure more than 60 votes in the Senate on September 15, or at least trigger new rulemaking from the CFTC and SEC the following day. Instead, the legislation stalled, leaving the crypto industry waiting for regulatory clarity without a clear timeline.
Reported by CoinDesk.
Previously: Republicans Claim Revised CLARITY Act is Final Offer - But Democrats Push Back with Counter-Proposal
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.
