Bipartisan CLARITY Act compromise lifts crypto; Bitcoin tops $81,000

Bitcoin jumped above $81,000 after U.S. senators struck a bipartisan deal on a key provision of the CLARITY Act covering stablecoin rewards, giving markets fresh confidence that U.S. crypto rules are moving toward greater certainty. Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks said they reached agreement on one of the bill's most disputed issues: whether stablecoins can offer rewards that resemble interest. Under the compromise, stablecoin rewards structured like interest on bank deposits would be prohibited, while crypto firms would still be permitted to offer other types of customer incentives. The talks, which followed months of behind-the-scenes negotiations involving the White House, banks and crypto companies, aim to address banking-sector concerns that interest-like stablecoin rewards could pull deposits out of the traditional system. Lawmakers framed the deal as a pragmatic step designed to secure workable regulation rather than stall over perfect language. Markets responded quickly. Alongside Bitcoin's move, crypto-linked equities rallied, with Coinbase (COIN), MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Circle (CRCL) up roughly 4% to 8%. Prediction markets also shifted. Polymarket now places the odds of the CLARITY Act becoming law by 2026 at 70%, up from 42%. Attention is now on May 21, when Congress is set to break for Memorial Day. CoinDesk noted the bill has roughly two weeks to clear remaining steps; missing the deadline could push the timeline out to 2026.