Clarity Act Vote 2026: Trump Agrees to Crypto Ethics Rules Ahead of Senate Vote
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| By Dawn Pennington |
For weeks, the message from Capitol Hill was simple.
If President Trump wanted his big crypto bill to pass, he'd need to follow new ethics rules. Rules that apply to him, too.
He's agreed. Mostly.
Here's what changed over the weekend, right before Tuesday's big vote.
What Is the Clarity Act?
The Clarity Act is a Senate bill. It would create clear rules for crypto in the U.S.
Right now, the SEC and CFTC often fight over who regulates what. This bill would settle that fight.
Supporters call it the biggest crypto law in years. But it's been stuck for months.
What Changed This Weekend
Trump agreed to two big things.
First, he can no longer launch new crypto tokens. Neither can his wife, Melania. Neither can any federal official or judge.
Second, Trump agreed to put his crypto holdings in a blind trust. He'll have to sell off holdings once they hit a certain value.
State attorneys general also get new power. They can sue crypto exchanges that break the rules.
A senior GOP aide says Trump agreed to about 80% of the toughest ethics proposal on the table.
What Tuesday's Vote Actually Means
Tuesday's vote is not the final vote. It's called a cloture vote.
This vote decides one thing: will the Senate debate the bill at all?
It needs 60 votes to pass. Republicans only have 53 seats. That means 7 Democrats need to cross over.
The vote happens at 2:15 p.m. Eastern tomorrow.
If it fails, the bill likely dies this year. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, the bill's lead author, warns the next chance might not come until 2030.
Related story: The SEC Could Give Crypto Its Next Big Break
The McConnell Wildcard
Sen. Mitch McConnell has been out sick for three months. He's 84 and had a serious fall in June.
He's historically a strong pro-crypto vote. He backed this bill in committee back in January.
It's still unclear if he'll show up Tuesday. But in a vote this close, one senator matters. His vote alone could help push this bill across the finish line.
How This Affects TRUMP, MELANIA and LAPTOP
This is the part crypto traders actually care about.
TRUMP and MELANIA Coins
These two coins are the whole reason this bill exists.
The new rule stops officials from launching new coins. But here's the catch.
Related story: Trump’s Era Begins With a Bang for Memecoins
Reports suggest existing token operations can keep minting new supply under the same brand. Even after Trump's assets move into a blind trust.
In plain English: The ban may stop new memecoin launches. But it likely won’t stop the current TRUMP and MELANIA business from running.
There's also confusion about a 2029 expiration date. Some reports say it was removed entirely in this weekend's changes.
Bottom line: Don't assume TRUMP or MELANIA stop trading if this bill passes.
LAPTOP Coin
Hunter Biden's LAPTOP coin sits completely outside this bill.
Related story: $LAPTOP Crashed. What It Might Take to Reboot This Memecoin
The rules only apply to elected officials, their spouses and federal judges. Hunter Biden is none of those things.
He's a private citizen. This bill changes nothing for LAPTOP.
Why We Need Crypto Clarity Now
There was no real crypto rulebook before any of this. Not for Trump. Not for anyone.
Without rules, presidents and lawmakers have operated in a gray zone. Congress simply never wrote the rules.
Trump's own stake in crypto isn't small. He reported over $1.4 billion in crypto income last year.
More than $500 million of that came from World Liberty Financial token sales. Over $600 million came from memecoins tied to his name.
If Democrats want real guardrails on presidential crypto conflicts, there's only one way to get them. Pass a bill with teeth. Don't just block votes forever.
The final Clarity Act text includes 126 “substantive changes made at the request of Democrats,” according to a press release from Lummis’ office.
Every year this drags on is another year investors trade with less clarity. Not more.
Related story: Coinbase Could Be Among Clarity’s Biggest Winners
At some point, "no regulation" stops punishing Trump. It starts costing everyone else who trades in this market.
What the Odds Say
Prediction markets reacted fast to the weekend news.
Polymarket now puts 2026 passage odds at about 30%. Kalshi shows 37%. Both numbers jumped from recent lows. But not everyone is convinced.
TD Cowen's policy team kept their estimate at just 25%. Their reasoning? A blind trust doesn't fully separate Trump from the industry.
Sen. Lummis put it bluntly. She says a "no" vote isn't a stand against Trump. It's a vote against the very ethics rules meant to restrain him.
Related story: Congress Not Needed for Crypto’s Next Regulatory Breakthrough
We're watching the vote count. And the attendance sheet.
To your health and wealth,
Dawn
P.S. Moments ago, Trump rejected calls for AI regulations. Which may give that stumbling industry a temporary boost.
But for those who want to play the next big opportunity in tech, our pre-IPO team sees a better opportunity in a niche that’s insulated from AI’s current challenges and growing like wildfire.
What does it have in common with Clarity? A looming deadline to act. Click here to get all the facts about this opportunity before it’s too late.
1https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-cryptocurrency-senate-091df7e9a6abbe9b01cf7531d2aa6442
