The U.S. Senate is postponing a vote on the Clarity Act until next month, reducing expectations for the bill's passage this year.
By Nikhilesh De, Jesse HamiltonUpdated Aug 7, 2026, 2:35 a.m. Published Aug 7, 2026, 2:14 a.m. 3 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)The U.S. Senate has decided against voting on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act before the August recess, though industry figures remain optimistic for a vote in September when the Senate reconvenes in Washington, D.C., according to several sources familiar with the legislative process.
Initially, the crypto sector hoped that the Senate would extend its session to address outstanding issues related to the Clarity Act. However, significant disagreements among Senators from both parties have stalled progress on the legislation. The Senate is scheduled to return on September 14, 2026, and will have a three-week window to address this and other pending matters.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed via a spokesperson that there would be no vote on the Clarity Act in August but indicated that a vote is anticipated next month.
"The Dems are insistent on no Clarity vote... I worked with sponsors of the bill. [Senator Cynthia Lummis] was great, and we’re getting that queued up first thing when we come back," said Thune in a statement shared on social media.
On the last day before the recess, the Senate will also vote on a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through the midterm elections, a sanctions bill against Russia named after Senator Lindsey Graham, and several nominations.
Politico reported earlier that the Senate did not foresee holding a vote on the Clarity Act before the break.
Cody Carbone, CEO of the crypto trade association Digital Chamber, stated, "while this isn’t the result any of us hoped for when we began the week, the fight is far from over. In the coming weeks, we will continue to seek common ground to facilitate a successful vote when Congress reconvenes in September."
The Clarity Act has encountered delays due to a range of issues, including the need for a continuing resolution to fund the federal government, a sanctions bill regarding Russia, and various nominations. Thune announced that votes on these matters would take place on Friday at 10:00 a.m., suggesting prior agreements to limit debate time on these issues.
The Clarity Act, however, lacks such an agreement, according to sources tracking the bill.
For the bill to pass, it requires 60 votes in favor, and it remains uncertain if it can garner even 50 votes, given that several Republican senators have publicly expressed their opposition, while Democrats are pushing for a stricter ethics provision related to President Donald Trump than what is currently included in the bill.