Senate Agriculture Committee Advances Landmark Crypto Market Structure Bill in Party-Line Vote
A major crypto market structure bill, the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act (part of the larger CLARITY Act), was advanced by the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on a party-line vote of 12-11 on Thursday, January 29, 2026, despite unanimous Democrat opposition in the committee.
Key Details
Legislation Name: The specific bill advanced through the committee is the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, which is part of the broader legislative effort known as the CLARITY Act.
Committee Vote: The bill passed the Senate Agriculture Committee by a narrow 12-11 vote, with all Democrats on the panel voting in opposition.
Democrat Opposition: Democrats cited concerns over a lack of consumer protections, insufficient ethics provisions (especially regarding potential conflicts of interest for the President and his family), and the bill's general deregulatory approach.
Regulatory Authority: The legislation is designed to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) primary regulatory authority over the spot trading of digital commodities, aiming to provide regulatory clarity and end the jurisdictional disputes between the SEC and CFTC.
Next Steps: This committee passage marks a significant milestone, as it's the first time such comprehensive market structure legislation has cleared a Senate committee. However, the bill must also pass the Senate Banking Committee before it can be merged into a final Senate floor bill for a full vote.
This recent action follows the successful passage and enactment of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, a separate bill focused solely on regulating stablecoins, which had managed to garner some bipartisan support.
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