U.S. Senate Schedules Sept. 15 Cloture Vote on Clarity Act, Opening Path to Shift Crypto Oversight Toward CFTC

The U.S. Senate has taken its first formal step toward a full vote on the Clarity Act, setting up a mid-September procedural test that could reshape federal crypto regulation. On Saturday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed a motion to proceed on H.R. 3633, triggering the chamber's multi-step cloture process used to clear the 60-vote threshold for contested legislation. The filing came too late to force action before the August recess, but it schedules the first procedural vote for 2:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 15, indicating GOP leaders intend to make the bill an early priority when senators return. If enacted, the Clarity Act would establish a formal legal framework for most crypto activity in the U.S. by drawing jurisdictional boundaries between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, placing much of the sector under CFTC oversight. Backers argue that clearer rules would encourage traditional financial institutions to enter the market and could provide a meaningful tailwind for the industry. The cloture filing itself does not mean the bill will pass. Republicans still need roughly six Democratic votes to reach 60, a gap that has remained since the measure advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee in May with only two Democrats supporting it. Thune moved the vote to after the August break following Democratic resistance to advancing the measure this month. Negotiators now have several weeks to narrow disagreements that include illicit-finance and law-enforcement safeguards, a high-stakes dispute over stablecoin yield and rewards, and government-ethics provisions tied to President Donald Trump's crypto holdings. An addendum negotiated with the White House would require divestiture from crypto-related businesses, though the White House has not publicly commented. If the Senate passes the bill, it would return to the House for another vote before going to the president. With the September window tightening ahead of midterm campaigning, many lawmakers and market participants see the coming weeks as the last realistic opportunity this year for the Clarity Act to become law. Attention is expected to focus on the Sept. 15 cloture vote, any late concessions tied to the addendum, and whether Democrats ultimately align to meet the 60-vote threshold.