CLARITY Act May Get Lame-Duck Revival, Crypto Advocate Says

The CLARITY Act could receive another chance in Congress during the post-election lame-duck session, despite failing to clear a key Senate hurdle earlier this week. According to Digital Sovereignty Alliance managing director Adrian Wall, senators from both parties are weighing a renewed push to advance the crypto market structure bill before the current Congress adjourns.

Speaking Wednesday on Cointelegraph's Chain Reaction show on X, Wall acknowledged that reviving the legislation would be difficult but said bipartisan appetite remains. "There is an appetite to put this forward even during the lame duck period of Congress," Wall said. "Is it easy? No. It's going to be very complicated. It's a long shot." He noted the signals came directly from senators rather than congressional staff, describing a strategy to "engage the other side and see if there's a last chance to do it."

The comments follow Tuesday's failed Senate cloture vote, which left the bill short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Wall called the defeat a "huge blow" but stopped short of declaring the legislation dead, suggesting that if the lame-duck attempt fails, the next Congress could "pick up the pen" on crypto market structure reform. The Digital Sovereignty Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy group that works with lawmakers and regulators on digital asset policy.

The stalled legislation adds to broader uncertainty for the U.S. crypto industry, which is now turning its attention to federal regulators in the absence of congressional clarity. Separate developments, including the UK Financial Conduct Authority's new crypto authorization guidance ahead of a September application window, underscore how jurisdictions outside the U.S. are moving forward on digital asset rules while Washington remains gridlocked.