The Biden administration, which Donald Trump replaced in January 2025, has never hidden its distrust of cryptos. The new team is increasing pressure to accelerate the adoption of a favorable regulatory framework. However, Senate Democrats intend to prove that they remain on the other side of the scale. Their target: the CLARITY Act, which they consider too complacent with the president’s interests.
In brief
- Three Democratic senators refuse to pass the CLARITY Act without ethics provisions against conflicts of interest.
- Trump pocketed $1.4 billion from his crypto activities in 2025, according to his financial disclosure.
- The crypto industry will spend $240 million on lobbying in 2024 to influence decisions in Washington.
- The Republican majority in the Senate, weakened by Graham’s death, struggled to muster 60 votes.
The CLARITY Act and the absence of safeguards: three senators step up to the plate
On July 14, 2026, on the steps of the Capitol, three Democratic senators declared war on the CLARITY Act. Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley and Chris Van Hollen, joined by actor Ben McKenzie, denounced thelack of ethical provisions in this bill on the structure of the crypto market.
There is no reason to adopt a new regulatory system for cryptos if that system does not stop Trump’s corruption of the entire industry.
Source: Chris Murphy – Press conference, July 14, 2026
Van Hollen added that Trump pocketed $600 million from the TRUMP memecoin. Meanwhile, more than a million investors lost $3.8 billion in this same adventure.
Why does a bill supposed to clarify the crypto market not contain a single word to prevent the president or his family from getting rich? The CLARITY Act, passed by the House nearly a year ago, must pass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. The Republican majority, fragile with 52-47 seats, will need Democratic support to pass the text.
Crypto lobbying: 240 million to buy the vote of senators?
The crypto industry spent $240 million on lobbying in 2024, a colossal sum that calls into question its real influence. Ezra Levin, co-director of Indivisible, summed up the situation with biting irony:
Congress gave Trump a printing press. And what did he do? He asked for a bigger printing press.
Source: press conference, July 14, 2026.
Ben McKenzie added: crypto lobbyists are seeking to recover the hundreds of millions invested in politics. The paradox is striking: the CLARITY Act is presented as a text to clarify crypto regulation. However, no provision prevents the president, who earned $1.4 billion from his crypto ventures in 2025, from continuing to profit from the sector he is supposed to regulate.
Democratic senators proposed ethical amendments, systematically rejected by Republicans in committee. Without these safeguards, the bill becomes a poisoned chalice for the industry. A poll commissioned by Americans for Financial Reform reveals that 66% of Americans believe cryptos have too much influence in Washington.
Graham’s death and the wavering majority: the CLARITY Act in danger
The death of Senator Lindsey Graham last weekend shook the balance of power in the Senate. The Republican majority, already fragile, increased to 52-47. Mitch McConnell, still hospitalized, could reduce this figure to 51 senators present.
Donald Trump called on the Senate to pass the CLARITY Act “in honor of” Lindsey Graham, although Graham has not publicly supported the bill. A maneuver that opponents consider indecent.
“ A man is dead. And within two days, the president is using his death as a whip for urgency on this bill because every day this bill doesn’t pass is a day Trump doesn’t make his next billion dollars. » denounced Ezra Levin.
Law enforcement organizations support the CLARITY Act, but the lack of ethical safeguards could seal its fate. The crypto regulation bill could be the victim of another form of regulation: that of political ethics.
Key figures of the standoff:
- Trump’s crypto income in 2025: 1.4 billion;
- Losses of TRUMP memecoin investors: 3.8 billion;
- Crypto lobbying spending in 2024: 240 million;
- Republican majority in the Senate: 52-47.
The CLARITY Act must deal with another thorn: 76 banking groups point out the blind spot in the text on returns. How can we break the deadlock if Democrats and bankers oppose the project?
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