Trump Backs Tougher Crypto Ethics Rules to Push Clarity Act Through Senate

The U.S. crypto industry is feeling hopeful as lawmakers head into a major week for cryptocurrency rules. At the center is the Clarity Act — a proposed law that would set clear rules for how digital assets like Bitcoin are regulated in America.

On Sunday, Senate Republicans released a new, revised version of the bill, calling it their "last, best and final offer." They're trying to win over enough Democrats before an important vote on Tuesday.

Why the vote is tricky:

• The vote is called "cloture" (a procedure to move a bill forward past debate).
• It needs 60 "yes" votes to pass.
• Republicans need at least 7 Democrats to cross over and support it — possibly 9 or 10 if some Republicans vote no.

The biggest surprise: President Trump agreed to tougher ethics rules on his own crypto business — something he had previously resisted. The new rules would:

• Force officials to divest (sell off) their crypto holdings or place them in a blind trust (an account managed by someone else, so the owner can't influence decisions).
• Let state attorneys general (top state lawyers) enforce these rules.
• Have no expiration date, unlike an earlier version that would have ended when Trump leaves office in 2029.

Why did Trump change his mind? Advisors argued it could protect him legally from future investigations. There's also a tax benefit — being forced to sell assets could let him delay paying capital gains tax (tax on profit from selling investments).

Trump reported over $1.4 billion in crypto income last year, including about $635 million from his own TRUMP meme coin — though many investors in that token lost money, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.

Industry reaction is cautiously positive. Galaxy's Alex Thorn raised his odds of the bill passing in 2026 from 10% to 25%. Still, the tight schedule remains a big obstacle.

In short: this week could decide whether America finally gets clear crypto rules — and whether politicians face stricter limits on their crypto dealings.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://decrypt.co/378125/clarity-act-crypto-ethics-trump-key-vote