Trump agreed to ethical restrictions in the CLARITY Act: what this means for the crypto market
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has given preliminary approval to include a package of ethical norms in the CLARITY Act bill. This is a key step that could unlock the adoption of one of the most significant regulatory acts for the crypto industry.
According to my data, obtained from informed industry sources, the White House has agreed on the relevant text and sent it to a number of Republican senators. These provisions are intended to prohibit the president, members of Congress, senior officials, and their families from profiting from the cryptocurrency business.
Let me remind you that on July 14, a group of Democratic senators led by Chris Murphy opposed the current version of the CLARITY Act, demanding anti-corruption clauses. A meeting on this issue took place on July 16 with the participation of Trump, key Republicans (Cynthia Lummis, Bernie Moreno, Thom Tillis, and Bill Hagerty), White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Democrats were not invited to the negotiations, highlighting the political context of the deal.
Pressure intensified from Senator Elizabeth Warren, who called on Trump to voluntarily disclose income from digital assets for the first half of 2026, without waiting for a mandatory declaration. Let me remind you that according to a 2025 report, projects related to the crypto industry brought the president at least $1.4 billion. The White House denies a conflict of interest, but the concession on ethical norms is clearly aimed at easing this tension.
The CLARITY Act, passed by the House of Representatives back in July 2025 (294 votes in favor, 134 against), is designed to clearly delineate the powers of the SEC and CFTC in regulating digital assets. In May 2026, the Senate Banking Committee approved its version (15 to 9). Now, the fate of the bill depends on whether the parties can finalize the text with ethical amendments before the Senate's August recess.
My expertise: Trump's concession on ethical norms is a pragmatic but necessary step. Without it, the CLARITY Act risked getting stuck in political games. However, the key question lies in the details. If the restrictions are too strict, it could reduce the appeal of politicians' participation in crypto projects, but for the market, the most important thing is to finally get clear rules of the game. While the market waits, time is running out.