Treasury Sec’y Bessent Urges Congress to Pass Crypto Bill

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Thursday (April 9) for Congress to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY Act), warning that the current lack of a clear regulatory framework is eroding U.S. leadership in the crypto market.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Bessent argued that prevailing uncertainty has “predictable consequences,” driving development to international hubs like Singapore and Abu Dhabi, where firms benefit from clearer registration standards and lower legal risks.

The proposed legislation is designed to provide the “durable U.S. rules” necessary to support the next frontier of financial infrastructure, including tokenized assets and decentralized exchanges.

A key component of the act is establishing a federal distinction between digital commodities under Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversight and securities governed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which would reduce the ambiguity currently facing exchanges and banks.

Although the bill passed the House of Representatives in 2025, it remains stalled in the Senate. The impasse is primarily driven by disagreements between traditional financial institutions and crypto firms, particularly regarding rules for stablecoin interest payments. Bessent maintained that without these federal rules, the U.S. will continue to lose critical jobs and tax revenue to overseas competitors.

In February, Bessent warned that crypto firms blocking the CLARITY Act are creating “self-induced” volatility, particularly as the industry navigates a transition to a “regulator-in-the-loop” strategy. While firms once favored evasion, they are now shifting toward proactive engagement to secure the durable infrastructure needed for payments and settlement.

A central flashpoint in these legislative negotiations—and a driver of the market tremors Bessent noted—is the proposed ban on stablecoin yield rewards. This provision is designed to protect traditional banks from “deposit flight,” which some estimates suggest could reach $1.3 trillion if left unaddressed. Recent sell-offs in Circle and Coinbase shares followed leaked drafts of these yield restrictions, illustrating the instability caused by regulatory uncertainty.

Bessent and SEC Chairman Paul Atkins argued that passing the act is the only way to “future-proof” the U.S. market. By clearly dividing oversight between the SEC and CFTC, the act aims to provide the “trust layer” that businesses require to fully adopt stablecoins as a regulated financial infrastructure within the domestic system.