General information only. CryptoRegHub provides summaries for informational purposes and does not constitute legal or compliance advice. Always verify with official sources and consult qualified legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

BrowseUnited StatesCLARITY Act
Verify recommended:14 April 2026·Source →

US Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act)

United StatesTrading/Market StructureCrypto Exchanges/CASPsGeneral Crypto AssetsDeFi/NFTsExchanges / CEX / DEXCustodians / Wallet ProvidersBrokers / AdvisersDeFi ProtocolsFintech / NeobanksSECCFTCBitcoin / PoW assetsEthereum / PoS assetsUtility tokensSecurity tokensDeFi tokensRegistrationDisclosure / WhitepaperRegulatory reportingMarket conduct rulesCustody / Segregation
Proposed High risk
General information only — not legal advice

CryptoRegHub provides plain-English summaries of crypto regulations for informational purposes only. This does not constitute legal, compliance, or financial advice. Regulations change frequently — always verify information with official sources and consult qualified legal counsel before making any compliance decisions.

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (H.R. 3633) was passed by the US House of Representatives on 17 July 2025 by a bipartisan 294-134 vote, as part of "Crypto Week" alongside the GENIUS Act. The CLARITY Act would resolve the longstanding jurisdictional dispute between the SEC and CFTC over digital assets by classifying most crypto assets as "digital commodities" under CFTC jurisdiction and creating new registration regimes for digital commodity exchanges, brokers and dealers. Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and XRP have been identified as digital commodities in related guidance. The bill currently sits with the Senate, where two committees (Banking and Agriculture) have been developing their own draft frameworks. The Senate Agriculture Committee released the "Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act" in January 2026 and a markup was scheduled for 29 January 2026. As of April 2026, the Senate has not yet passed the bill — reconciliation between the House CLARITY Act and Senate drafts is ongoing. The SEC and CFTC signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding on 11 March 2026 and issued a landmark Joint Interpretation on 17 March 2026 establishing a token taxonomy that pre-empts many of the CLARITY Act's classification questions.

Who does it apply to?

If enacted, would apply to: (1) Digital commodity exchanges — platforms bringing together buyers and sellers of digital commodities. (2) Digital commodity brokers — firms dealing in digital commodities as agent. (3) Digital commodity dealers — firms dealing as principal. (4) Issuers of digital assets seeking to make public offerings or transition from investment contract asset to digital commodity status. (5) DeFi protocols — scope remains subject to negotiation but controlled protocols are likely in scope.

Key requirements

Key provisions of the House-passed CLARITY Act: (1) CFTC receives exclusive jurisdiction over spot markets for "digital commodities" — assets whose blockchain system is "mature" (sufficiently decentralised). (2) SEC retains jurisdiction over "investment contract assets" where a centralised promoter's efforts drive value. (3) New registration regime for digital commodity exchanges, brokers and dealers under CFTC. (4) Expedited registration and provisional status available during rulemaking transition. (5) Token issuers may file a "maturity notice" with the SEC to transition from SEC to CFTC jurisdiction over a maximum 4-year period. (6) Joint SEC-CFTC rulemakings required for mixed digital asset transactions, portfolio margining, and conflicts of interest. (7) All rules and regulations must be promulgated no later than 18 months after enactment.

Obligation types

Registration
Requirement to register with a regulator
Disclosure / Whitepaper
Mandatory disclosures to users or markets
Regulatory reporting
Ongoing reporting to regulators
Market conduct rules
Rules against manipulation, insider dealing etc.
Custody / Segregation
Rules on how customer assets must be held

Implementation timeline

May 2025
CLARITY Act introduced in House by Chair French Hill and Chair Glenn Thompson
Jun 2025
Bipartisan House committee markups — bill advanced
House Financial Services and Agriculture Committees both voted to advance the bill.
Jul 2025
House passed CLARITY Act — 294-134 bipartisan vote
Passed during "Crypto Week" alongside GENIUS Act. Referred to Senate.
Nov 2025
Senate Agriculture Committee released bipartisan discussion draft
Senators Boozman and Booker released draft building on CLARITY Act.
Jan 2026
Senate Agriculture Committee released updated Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act
More detailed legislative text building on the discussion draft.
Mar 2026
SEC-CFTC signed Memorandum of Understanding on digital asset jurisdiction
First formal truce on jurisdictional battles over digital assets.
Mar 2026
SEC and CFTC issued landmark joint token taxonomy interpretation
Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and XRP confirmed as digital commodities. Most tokens confirmed not securities.

Official sources

SEC Joint Interpretation on crypto asset classification (March 2026)
https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026-30-sec-clarifies-application-federal-securities-laws-crypto-assets
CLARITY Act — Congress.gov (H.R. 3633)
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3633
US Crypto Policy Tracker (Latham & Watkins)
https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%2C%22search%22%3A%22CLARITY+Act+crypto%22%7D

Always refer to official sources to confirm current requirements. CryptoRegHub summaries are for general guidance only.

Updates & news

17 March 2026
SEC and CFTC issued joint token taxonomy — pre-empts many CLARITY Act classification questions
Joint interpretation confirmed Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and XRP as digital commodities. Stated that most tokens are not securities. Formal rulemaking with full details expected within weeks.
21 January 2026
Senate Agriculture Committee published Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act
Updated legislative text focusing on digital asset intermediaries under CFTC oversight. Senate markup scheduled for January 29, 2026.
17 July 2025
House passed CLARITY Act with strong bipartisan support
Passed 294-134 as part of "Crypto Week". Bill now with Senate committees for consideration.

Frequently asked questions

At a glance
JurisdictionUnited States
RegulatorSEC, CFTC
Official nameDigital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (H.R. 3633)
StatusProposed
Last verified14 Apr 2026
Penalty severity
High risk

Large fines, licence revocation, or criminal referral risk

Regulatory bodies
SEC
Securities and Exchange Commission
Official website →
CFTC
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Official website →
Disclaimer

This summary is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always verify with official sources and consult qualified legal counsel.