US House Passes CLARITY Act, Potentially Reshaping Bitcoin Regulation Pending Senate Review

Key Points

1. The CLARITY Act explicitly assigns regulatory roles to the SEC and CFTC, addressing long-standing uncertainty for market participants.

2. The bill introduces a tiered regulatory approach, allowing projects to certify as 'mature blockchains' to reduce oversight for decentralized networks.

3. New regulatory categories for digital asset exchanges and brokers under the CFTC require stringent compliance with custody and AML rules.

4. A $75 million safe-harbor exemption for digital commodity issuers aims to balance regulatory compliance with innovation.

5. The Senate will review the bill next, with implementation expected to begin in 2026, focusing on balancing innovation and investor protection.