## Senate Banking Committee CLARITY Act Draft Targets Thursday Markup, Proposes Permanent Bitcoin and Ethereum Securities Exemption
The Senate Banking Committee has released a draft of the CLARITY Act ahead of a Thursday markup, according to a report from Decrypt. The proposed legislation contains provisions that would permanently exempt Bitcoin and Ethereum from securities law—a development that, if enacted, could fundamentally reshape how the United States regulates major cryptocurrencies.

The timing of the draft's release places the legislation on a fast track, with committee consideration imminent. The text reportedly includes specific language designed to carve out the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization from existing securities frameworks, a move that would mark a significant departure from current regulatory interpretations. The SEC has historically applied securities laws to digital assets through various enforcement actions and guidance documents, a posture that has drawn sustained pushback from industry participants.

The draft's inclusion of permanent exemption language signals a legislative attempt to provide clarity and certainty that regulatory action alone has not delivered. Bitcoin and Ethereum have occupied an ambiguous regulatory space, with debates over their classification persisting across multiple administrations. The Thursday markup represents the next critical juncture, where committee members will evaluate whether the draft language can advance. Industry stakeholders and legal analysts are closely monitoring the markup for signals about the bill's trajectory and whether bipartisan support exists to move the legislation further.
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- **Source**: Decrypt
- **Sector**: The Vault
- **Tags**: CLARITY Act, Bitcoin, Ethereum, SEC, Senate Banking Committee
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-05-12 12:48:26
- **ID**: 82200
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/82200