Coinbase Exec Confirms: CLARITY Act Timeline Remains Firm Despite Congressional Gridlock
Regulatory clarity for crypto isn't waiting for Washington's pace.
While Capitol Hill debates drag into the new year, a top Coinbase executive just signaled that the industry's push for the landmark CLARITY Act won't be derailed by legislative delays. The message is clear: the timeline for establishing clear digital asset rules is intact.
The Clock Is Ticking, With or Without Them
This isn't about hoping for a handout from slow-moving committees. It's about building momentum that forces the issue. The industry's growth—measured in billions of dollars of daily trading volume and millions of new wallets—creates its own political calculus. Lawmakers are now chasing a market that's already left the station.
Why This Timeline Matters Now
Uncertainty is the enemy of institutional investment. With a firm timeline, builders can plan, VCs can allocate, and exchanges can onboard the next wave of users without looking over their shoulder. The promise of the CLARITY Act isn't just legal text; it's the foundation for the next phase of crypto adoption.
So, while Congress perfects the art of postponement, the real economy of digital assets is setting its own schedule. Sometimes, the most powerful legislation is the market writing its own rules—a concept that tends to give traditional finance lobbyists a well-deserved migraine.
Talent flight pressures US lawmakers to advance crypto rules
The comments came only a few weeks after White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks announced that the CLARITY Act could obtain approval as soon as January. Speaking on December 19, Sacks said the administration was now closer than ever to passing the groundbreaking crypto market structure legislation that President Trump had called for, and he believed lawmakers would get it done in January.
D’Agostino also added that he was bullish on the CLARITY Act passing, citing greater global momentum to regulate cryptocurrency. He cited the European Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework and the United Arab Emirates’ own ongoing efforts to achieve regulatory clarity as signs of mounting pressure on the United States to act. He also acknowledged what he called an enormous exodus of talent from the US to other countries, and said such a trend could increase pressure on lawmakers to push through the CLARITY Act in 2026.
Some of the urgency that was behind passing the Genius Act, he said, was designed to slow that drain of talent. Once lawmakers returned to session and were able to assess developments in the sector fully, D’Agostino said, a similar sense of urgency WOULD arise, fueled by an anxiety that the United States would fall further behind in transformational technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain.
Delays in the Clarity Act deepen uncertainty in crypto markets
CoinShares recently reported that crypto investment products experienced approximately $952 million in outflows during the week ending December 19, attributing the decline to delays in passing the CLARITY Act.
The firm explained that prolonged regulatory uncertainty in the United States had led investors to become more cautious. At the same time, fears that large holders, often referred to as whales, would sell their assets had added to the pressure. According to CoinShares, this uncertainty has eroded confidence and led some investors to withdraw funds from crypto funds in the short term.
At the same time, veteran trader Peter Brandt said the possible passage of the CLARITY Act was unlikely to cause a major MOVE in Bitcoin’s price. He said the legislation was important and necessary for the long-term health of the crypto market, but he did not see it as a major global event. Brandt explained that while clearer rules could help the industry grow over time, the bill was not something that would suddenly change Bitcoin’s value or immediately push prices much higher or lower.
Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.
