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International Business Times
International Business Times
Business
Merin Rebecca Thomas

Passage Of CLARITY Act In Doubt As Senate Calendar Tightens And Stablecoin Disputes Deepen

Prediction market platform Kalshi showed the probability of the CLARITY Act passing before 2027 falling from nearly 75% to 50% in the span of a week. (Credit: Pexels)

The odds of the CLARITY Act becoming law before 2027 have dropped sharply in recent days, reflecting growing uncertainty over the crypto market-structure bill's path through Congress even after a key Senate committee approved the legislation earlier this month.

According to Yahoo Finance, prediction market platform Kalshi showed the probability of the CLARITY Act passing before 2027 falling from nearly 75% to 50% in the span of a week. Traders cited a crowded Senate calendar, unresolved disputes over yield-bearing stablecoins and continued resistance from banking interests as major obstacles to the bill's progress.

The development comes less than two weeks after the Senate Banking Committee voted 15-9 to advance the legislation, a milestone that moved the bill closer to a full Senate vote.

The CLARITY Act seeks to establish a federal framework for regulating digital assets and clarify the respective roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The legislation is viewed as one of the most significant crypto-regulation efforts undertaken by Congress and follows years of debate over how cryptocurrencies should be classified and supervised.

While the committee vote represented a significant breakthrough, traders appear increasingly focused on what remains ahead. Galaxy Digital Head of Research Alex Thorn previously estimated the bill faces several procedural hurdles, including securing enough support on the Senate floor, reconciling differences between Senate and House versions of the legislation, and obtaining a presidential signature.

A central sticking point remains the treatment of yield-bearing stablecoins. The debate has pitted crypto companies seeking flexibility in offering rewards programs against banks that argue such products could compete directly with traditional deposits.

The issue has been at the center of negotiations for months. In March, CoinDesk reported that lawmakers were attempting to break a legislative deadlock through a compromise on stablecoin yield provisions after disagreements delayed progress on the bill.

More recently, Bloomberg reported that banking groups were pushing for last-minute changes to a compromise crafted by Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks regarding stablecoin rewards. Banks continued to press lawmakers to tighten restrictions on products that could resemble interest-bearing deposit accounts, the outlet said.

The latest Senate draft reflects those negotiations. According to CoinDesk, the legislation would prohibit interest or yield paid solely for holding payment stablecoins while allowing certain transaction-based rewards programs to continue under specific circumstances.

Banking industry concerns have also been echoed publicly by major financial institutions. JPMorgan Chase Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum raised concerns about allowing stablecoins such as USDC to generate yield for holders, reflecting broader industry arguments that such products could disrupt traditional banking models.

Despite growing skepticism in prediction markets, supporters of the legislation continue to argue that momentum remains intact. Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the most prominent advocates of digital asset legislation in Congress, has continued to push for passage of the bill. .

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