1/ We’re approaching a pivotal moment in Washington as Congress prepares to mark up digital asset market structure legislation next week.
As @SenLummis said: this is the culmination of *years* of engagement and now is the time to turn progress into law.
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160 former national security, intelligence, and law enforcement professionals are sending a clear message to the Senate: advance the Clarity Act.
Clear rules strengthen consumer protection, support investigators, and keep responsible digital asset innovation under U.S. oversight.
America should lead.
1/ Today, we’re sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Thune and Senate Democratic Leader Schumer signed by 160 former national security, intelligence, and law enforcement professionals in support of the Clarity Act.
https://t.co/1lSQkoaaXI
The only one? Our 100+ @BlockchainAssn members – along with builders, innovators, investors, and employers across America – beg to differ.
The future of finance won’t be decided by one bank CEO angry that innovation is moving faster than the incumbents trying to control it.
Thank you, @POTUS, @PatrickJWitt, and our champions in Congress for making market structure a priority.
This is a critical window to get it done. POTUS is right: clear, durable rules will future-proof the industry and prevent a future hostile regulator from driving innovation offshore again.
Let’s make sure America is the world’s crypto capital for decades to come.
1/ “The most important real-world address in all of crypto may very well be 1155 F Street in Washington.”
That’s our DC headquarters for our 100+ members.
@TheInformation’s @Yueqi_Yang reported on our office and neighbors – a few highlights:
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https://t.co/g8itYD9042
Congratulations, @HesterPeirce, on this extraordinary news.
During my time at the CFTC and now at Blockchain Association, I’ve watched your courage, clarity, and belief in innovation move the digital asset industry and the broader conversation forward.
I've also had the privilege to join you on stage. Your work, your voice, (and yes, your wonderfully creative speeches, statements, and dissents) have made a lasting mark.
US Securities and Exchange Commission member Hester Peirce is set to depart the agency and join Regent University School of Law as an associate professor in November, according to a statement from the Virginia school. https://t.co/SyGXpaleIj
The following statement is attributed to Blockchain Association CEO @SummerMersinger after today's bipartisan committee vote on the Clarity Act:
"Today’s bipartisan Senate Banking Committee passage of the Clarity Act is a defining moment for American leadership in the future of finance. Durable, lasting digital asset policy must be built on a bipartisan foundation, and today’s vote reflects the growing recognition across party lines that the United States needs clear rules of the road. For too long, regulatory uncertainty has sent talent, investment, and innovation overseas – strengthening foreign competitors while leaving American builders without the certainty they need to compete. The Clarity Act is an opportunity to reverse that trend, reshore the next generation of financial technology jobs, and ensure digital asset markets are built here in the United States under American values: consumer protection, open markets, individual freedom, and the rule of law. Just as importantly, clear rules will benefit American consumers by expanding access to compliant and innovative financial products, improving transparency and accountability in digital asset markets, and reducing reliance on opaque offshore platforms that operate outside U.S. oversight. Blockchain Association applauds the Committee for advancing this critical legislation with bipartisan support. Important work still remains, and we are fully committed to continued engagement with lawmakers and stakeholders as the bill moves swiftly toward consideration on the Senate floor."
end/ I’m grateful to the members of Congress and staff who brought the bill to this point, to the White House and @PatrickJWitt for their engagement, to the @BlockchainAssoc team for tireless work, and most of all to BA’s members.
You have made this effort credible, constructive, and impossible to ignore.
1/ Today, the Senate Banking Committee will mark up the Clarity Act.
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For our industry, this moment has been years in the making. It reflects the serious, sustained work of builders, policymakers, staff, regulators, and advocates who refused to accept regulatory limbo as the status quo.
Our latest view:
https://t.co/2hoF2Y1fjv
9/ The members who move this bill forward tomorrow are advancing a clear, pro-innovation framework for American consumers, businesses, and builders.
They are also sending an important signal: the United States intends to lead in the next generation of financial technology.
This is a defining moment for American leadership.
@blockchainassn & @crypto_council urge members of Senate Banking to support this legislation and work toward a final, bipartisan framework that ensures the US leads the next generation of financial innovation.
Read our letter: https://t.co/wpfnKlhHQY
We appreciate the Senate Banking Committee’s release of updated draft text for the Clarity Act and applaud the hard work of Committee leadership and staff.
This version reflects meaningful progress from January and a thoughtful effort to incorporate a diverse range of stakeholder feedback.
We look forward to markup and next steps as Congress advances a clear framework for digital assets.
Chairman @SenatorTimScott, @SenLummis, and @SenThomTillis released market structure text ahead of this week’s markup.
The Senate’s CLARITY Act delivers clear rules of the road, protects investors, combats illicit finance, and keeps innovation in America.
https://t.co/gWwZnX4lwY
I was in the meetings @PatrickJWitt organized where our industry negotiated in good faith to reach a compromise.
At this point, it’s fair to ask whether those negotiations were ever being approached in good faith on the other side. This debate has already been opened, debated, and settled.
It’s time to move forward and make America the crypto capital of the world.
I specifically requested the attendance of Mr. Nichols and other bank trade CEOs at the meetings we hosted back in February to resolve the stablecoin rewards/yield issue. They refused. I guess the White House was beneath them?
In their defense, I wouldn’t want to have to defend their position in public either.