What the CLARITY Act Is Actually Trying to Clarify in Crypto Markets

Key takeaways

• The CLARITY Act aims to address years of regulatory uncertainty with a structured framework that clearly defines digital assets, intermediary roles and disclosure obligations.

• It places most spot trading of qualifying tokens under CFTC oversight, while keeping the SEC responsible for primary offerings, disclosures and investor protections.

• The bill focuses on regulating activities as much as assets, setting registration and conduct standards for exchanges, brokers and dealers to strengthen market integrity and transparency.

• The GENIUS Act governs stablecoins, while the CLARITY Act applies only in complementary areas, such as disclosures and any reward-related features tied to stablecoin use.

The CLARITY Act (Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025) aims to break the industry’s legislative logjam through a two-pronged approach that defines what digital assets are and delegates oversight based on how they function in the marketplace. The legislation moves beyond ad hoc enforcement and instead proposes a comprehensive framework for asset classification, intermediary roles and mandatory disclosures.

This article explains what the CLARITY Act is and why it matters, outlines its objectives and examines how it proposes to govern stablecoins. It also covers the concept of mature blockchains, key arguments against the CLARITY Act and its current legislative status.

Why the CLARITY Act matters

The CLARITY Act addresses a long-standing issue in the crypto space: regulatory uncertainty.

For several years, digital asset companies have faced a confusing overlap between the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The SEC often treats many tokens as securities, whereas the CFTC classifies them as commodities. This ambiguity has slowed innovation, complicated compliance, frustrated investors and created confusion for crypto businesses.

The CLARITY Act aims to resolve this logjam by establishing clear definitions for digital assets and assigning regulatory responsibilities based on the type of asset and activity involved. A predefined framework allows market participants to understand applicable rules upfront rather than facing uncertainty driven by enforcement actions.

Main objectives of the CLARITY Act

The bill uses three primary approaches to establish the related regulatory infrastructure:

Defining asset categories more precisely

The CLARITY Act introduces the term “digital commodity,” which refers to a digital asset whose value derives primarily from the use of its associated blockchain system. This definition excludes traditional securities and stablecoins. As a result, spot trading of many qualifying tokens would fall under the purview of the CFTC. Recognizing practical challenges faced by crypto networks, the definition emphasizes blockchain functionality and sufficient decentralization.

Clarifying regulatory jurisdiction

The act divides oversight by function:

• The CFTC gains primary authority over digital commodity transactions, particularly in secondary and spot markets and on trading platforms.

• The SEC retains authority over primary offerings, investor protections, required disclosures and initial sales.

The bill also encourages joint rulemaking in overlapping areas such as disclosures.

Establishing consistent disclosures and conduct rules

To safeguard investors and support fair markets, the legislation mandates standardized disclosures from developers and issuers. These would cover blockchain technical details, token economics and key risks, giving market participants comparable information to evaluate projects. Intermediaries such as digital commodity exchanges, brokers and dealers would be subject to registration, reporting and oversight requirements, largely supervised by the CFTC for trading-related activities.

Overall, the CLARITY Act seeks to replace regulatory gray areas with clear guidelines, supporting innovation while maintaining investor protections and market integrity.

Did you know? Crypto market structure debates are influencing how policymakers approach the regulation of AI models, as both involve unclear accountability and fast-moving innovation cycles.

How the CLARITY Act deals with stablecoins

The GENIUS Act, enacted in 2025, established a federal framework specifically for payment stablecoins. It excludes qualifying stablecoins from classification as securities or commodities, provided they meet strict reserve, redemption and oversight requirements.

The CLARITY Act does not override or duplicate this stablecoin regime. Instead, its provisions apply in complementary ways, particularly with respect to rewards tied to stablecoins, related disclosures and their interaction with broader digital asset markets.

The concept of “mature” blockchains

With a mechanism for assets to evolve, the CLARITY Act defines a pathway through which a blockchain can achieve “mature” status by meeting decentralization and other functional criteria.

Once these criteria are met, the associated token shifts toward treatment as a digital commodity under CFTC oversight. This can significantly reduce regulatory requirements, such as registration, provided the project satisfies other applicable conditions.

The concept of mature blockchains reflects the view that regulatory treatment should adapt as networks become more decentralized and widely distributed. It offers projects a clearer progression toward lighter compliance requirements.

Did you know? In past regulatory disputes, courts have sometimes relied on decades-old investment cases to assess crypto tokens, highlighting how existing legal frameworks are being stretched to fit entirely new digital markets.

Ongoing criticisms of the CLARITY Act

While the bill promises clarity, skepticism remains. Critics argue that its definitions may leave gaps, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi), where projects often do not fit neatly into traditional regulatory models.

Others contend that the investor protections fall short of established securities standards. Additional concerns focus on potential overlaps, such as how the SEC’s anti-fraud authority would apply in areas where the CFTC holds primary jurisdiction, especially for tokens with hybrid characteristics.

Legislative status of the CLARITY Act

The US House of Representatives passed the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633) in July 2025 with bipartisan support. As of January 2026, the bill awaits action in the US Senate, where it has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The legislative process also involves input from the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on matters related to CFTC oversight.

As of January 2026, Senate committees have held hearings, released discussion drafts, proposed amendments and advanced versions of broader market structure legislation. However, markups have faced delays and revisions amid debate over issues such as stablecoin yields and investor safeguards. Reconciliation between Senate drafts and the House-passed bill remains ongoing, with no final Senate vote yet.

If enacted in a compatible form, the CLARITY Act would represent the first comprehensive US federal framework for digital asset market structure.

Did you know? Some blockchain networks now publish real-time transparency dashboards that show validator concentration, token velocity and governance participation. Regulators sometimes reference these metrics when debating whether a network is “sufficiently decentralized.”

Assessing the CLARITY Act’s blueprint

At its core, the CLARITY Act addresses a persistent challenge in crypto: unclear regulatory boundaries that deter innovation and encourage reactive enforcement rather than proactive compliance.

The act establishes defined asset categories, mandates consistent disclosures and assigns distinct roles to the SEC and CFTC. Its goal is to create a more predictable environment in which market participants understand the applicable rules from the outset.

Legislation, however, is only the starting point. Implementation, rulemaking and potential adjustments will determine the CLARITY Act’s real-world impact. Whether it ultimately delivers the promised clarity will shape US crypto policy and competitiveness for years to come.