TLDR
- Senator Lummis says the CLARITY Act markup is planned for April after Easter recess
- The main sticking point — stablecoin yield — is close to being resolved
- DeFi concerns have been “put to bed” after lengthy negotiations
- The bill must clear the Senate Banking Committee before a full chamber vote
- Lummis warns the bill must pass by May or digital asset legislation could stall for years
Senator Cynthia Lummis told attendees at the DC Blockchain Summit on Wednesday that the CLARITY Act is moving closer to a Senate vote. She said the Senate Banking Committee plans to hold a markup in April, after the Easter recess.
🚨BREAKING: Sen. Lummis Says “WE ARE GOING TO PASS THE CLARITY ACT IN APRIL” 🤯🔥
During the DC Blockchain Summit, Senator @SenLummis gave a major update on the CLARITY Act. 🇺🇸
The bill is now heading for an APRIL markup in the Senate Banking Committee. 👀
“We’re going to mark… pic.twitter.com/JUvs0gslYJ
— Diana (@InvestWithD) March 18, 2026
The bill passed the US House of Representatives in July 2025. It has since been held up in the Senate, mainly due to disagreements over stablecoin yield between the banking and crypto industries.
“We are so close this time,” Lummis told Summit attendees. A spokesperson for her office said a deal on stablecoin yield was expected “in the next few days.”
Lummis said the White House has held three meetings with crypto and banking industry representatives in 2026 to help push the legislation forward. She said that level of support from the current administration gave lawmakers a better chance of passing the bill.
The Senate Banking Committee, chaired by Tim Scott, had previously postponed a markup scheduled for January. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version of the bill in January, but both versions will need to be merged before a full Senate vote.
Stablecoin Yield and DeFi Near Resolution
The central dispute has been over how stablecoin yield and rewards should be treated under the law. Banking groups and crypto industry representatives have disagreed on this point for months.
Lummis said progress has been made. “We think we’ve got it,” she said, referring to the yield issue.
Decentralized finance was another contentious area, particularly for Democrats worried about illicit finance risks. Lummis said those discussions have now been settled.
A few remaining issues include money transmitter rules and how crypto assets are classified as securities or commodities. Lawmakers are also working through ethics language covering elected officials who hold digital asset investments.
Timing Pressure Mounts Ahead of Midterms
Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno added urgency at the same summit. “If we don’t get the CLARITY Act passed by May, digital asset legislation will not pass for the foreseeable future,” he said.
Lummis has said this may be the last real window to pass market structure legislation. The 2026 midterm elections in November could shift control of Congress, making passage harder.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said last week he did not expect the banking committee to advance the bill before April. His comments align with Lummis’s April markup timeline.
Lummis also announced in December that she will not seek reelection, making this legislative push one of her final priorities in office.
Prediction market Polymarket currently puts the odds of the CLARITY Act being signed into law in 2026 at 62%.
