Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has frequently demanded tougher cryptocurrency regulations to fight illegal money movements and safeguard investors, states she remains committed to passing a bill into law—despite opposing the current Clarity Act.
The Massachusetts Democrat informed journalists on Tuesday that the Clarity Act serves as Washington’s initial opportunity for significant digital asset oversight. Nevertheless, she stressed that any legislation must incorporate mandates regulating public servants’ cryptocurrency holdings, safeguard national security and consumers, and boost initiatives against illicit finance and terrorism.
Warren’s perspective on crypto laws could prove crucial if cryptocurrency legislation extends into the upcoming year. Democrats hold a narrow possibility of capturing the Senate during the forthcoming November elections. Forecast market participants on Kalshi assign Democrats a marginal 52% advantage to seize control of the Senate. In that scenario, Warren might head the Senate Banking Committee, a critical group regarding digital asset regulation.
When questioned if she would spearhead cryptocurrency legislation should she chair the Banking Committee, Warren confirmed she would.
"I’d be happy to sit down with other Democrats, with the Republicans, and with the industry and hammer out a meaningful crypto bill that protects our national security, that protects our economy and that dials back the corruption," she remarked. "I think we could get that done, but it will require the Republicans’ willingness to stand up to Donald Trump — and that’s a pretty tall order."
Trump and ethics
Trump’s massive digital asset fortune has turned into a major source of disagreement when attempting to enact the existing crypto legislation, the Clarity Act. Numerous Democrats have contended that stricter ethics guidelines must target President Donald Trump’s expanding crypto fortune, which has swelled to hundreds of millions of dollars tied to World Liberty Financial and his TRUMP memecoin. On the other hand, Republicans argue that the bill’s wording is adequate.
Current phrasing grants state attorneys general certain flexibility in executing ethics mandates by permitting them to sue digital asset exchanges and the Department of Justice, while specifying that government officials must divest substantial financial stakes or place them into a blind trust. Still, Democrats, including Warren, have argued that this measure lacks enforceability since the Justice Department would ultimately choose whether to initiate enforcement actions against the president.
On Tuesday, the Democratic counterproposal to the revised Republican legislative text would have expanded ethics limitations to encompass Trump’s massive cryptocurrency holdings, including those of his children, and mandated that officials possessing a very substantial stake in a digital asset enterprise liquidate it rather than merely transferring it to a blind trust, according to coverage by Politico. Yet, that proposal was rejected by prominent Senate Republican Cynthia Lummis.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the Clarity Act at 2:15 p.m. ET.
Prior to the vote, Anchorage Digital Head of Policy Kevin Wysocki stated he was present on Capitol Hill speaking with Senate personnel ahead of the ballot and indicated that gathering the 60 votes required to clear the Clarity Act’s preliminary procedural vote is feasible. He acknowledged Democratic worries regarding ethics, yet expressed hope that they might back it. Still, should the ballot fail, Wysocki mentioned the Senate might attempt another cloture vote.
"We’ll have to see how it plays out," Wysocki stated during an interview with The Block. "Hopefully we don’t have to use that. Hopefully we just get it."
Originally published at https://www.theblock.co/news/regulation/2026-09-15-sen-elizabeth-warren-says-she-wants-a-crypto-bill-but-the-clarity-act-just-isnt-it-414869.
