SEC Chair Atkins says Clarity Act likely to clear Congress

SEC Chair Paul Atkins told reporters he is confident the Clarity Act will move through Congress and be signed into law by President Trump [1].

Key takeaways

• Atkins publicly voiced confidence that the Clarity Act will pass the Senate and become law [1].
• The Act, which cleared the House in July 2025, is currently under Senate consideration [1].
• Atkins reiterated support for the bill, linking it to broader SEC rulemaking on on‑chain markets and AI‑driven finance [2].
• Market pricing for a “YES” outcome rose to 59.5%, reflecting increased investor optimism [1].
• Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has repeatedly pushed the bill’s timeline to the end of May, noting growing backing from key industry players [3].

Legislative progress and SEC perspective

The Clarity Act, formally known as the CLARITY Act, passed the House of Representatives in July 2025 and now awaits Senate action. In a recent statement, SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the agency believes the legislation will clear the Senate and be signed by President Trump, underscoring the administration’s push for a unified regulatory framework for digital assets [1]. Atkins framed the bill as part of a larger effort to resolve the jurisdictional split between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, moving away from case‑by‑case enforcement toward statutory regulation.

At a separate appearance at the AI+ Expo, Atkins highlighted the SEC’s intent to issue formal rulemaking for on‑chain trading systems, blockchain settlement infrastructure, and crypto vaults, noting that existing securities rules were designed for traditional intermediaries and do not neatly fit modern hybrid protocols [2]. He emphasized that the Commission should clarify its view of these emerging models through notice‑and‑comment rulemaking, rather than relying solely on enforcement actions. This regulatory stance aligns with his public endorsement of the Clarity Act, which would codify a shared regulatory regime for digital commodities and securities.

Industry expectations and market reaction

Market participants have responded to Atkins’s confidence with a measurable shift in prediction‑market odds. The probability of a “YES” outcome for the Clarity Act’s passage rose to 59.5%, up from 57% the previous day, indicating heightened expectations that the bill will become law in 2026 [1]. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has also been vocal about the bill’s prospects, moving his timeline for passage to the end of May after earlier forecasts for April [3]. He noted that opposition from major players such as Coinbase and the Treasury has softened, with recent endorsements from Coinbase’s CEO and Treasury Secretary Bessent, as well as calls from the SEC Chair and former White House crypto czar for swift congressional action [3].