Crypto Industry Heavyweights Urge Senate To Pass Clarity Act With Developer Protections Intact
More than 60 crypto leaders urged the Senate to pass the Clarity Act without weakening protections for blockchain developers.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
A large group of crypto executives is pressing Senate leaders to keep developer protections intact as the Clarity Act moves through Congress. Their main demand is that the bill preserve legal safe harbors for non-custodial software builders while the broader market structure framework advances.
A bunch of people who build crypto software are telling the Senate: keep the rules that protect honest builders, or the whole bill could hurt the people making the code. It is like asking for a helmet before riding a bike, so builders can work without fear of getting in trouble just for making tools.
Analysis
What the industry is asking for
More than 60 leading crypto CEOs and founders sent a June 9 letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging passage of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, but only if its blockchain developer protections remain intact. Signers reportedly included executives from Coinbase, a16z crypto, Uniswap, Solana Labs, Kraken, Paradigm, Galaxy, Ledger, and other firms.
The letter centers on Section 604 of the bill, known as the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, or BRCA. According to the article, that section would protect non-controlling software developers from Bank Secrecy Act obligations and from federal money-transmission prosecution. The signatories argued that without this language, the bill would not provide the legal certainty needed for blockchain innovation in the United States.
Where the bill stands
The Clarity Act, formally H.R. 3633, already cleared the House in July 2025 on a 294-134 bipartisan vote. In the Senate, the bill stalled earlier in the process, including after a January 2026 delay tied to concerns over a proposed ban on stablecoin rewards. The Senate Banking Committee later advanced the measure on May 14, 2026, by a 15-9 vote, and the bill was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar on June 1, 2026.
The article says the bill still has several hurdles: it must be merged with the Senate Agriculture Committee’s framework, then win 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, then reconcile House and Senate versions before reaching President Trump.
The broader policy dispute
The June 9 letter also asks the Senate to preserve related protections in Section 601 and Section 207, which would similarly shield developers from SEC registration requirements and commodities-law exposure. Supporters from groups such as the DeFi Education Fund and Coin Center view those provisions as baseline protections for permissionless software. Opponents, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats, argue the bill’s anti-money laundering rules are too weak.
Key points
- More than 60 crypto executives urged Senate leaders to pass the Clarity Act with developer protections preserved.
- The letter focuses on Section 604, the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, which shields non-custodial developers from certain money-transmission rules.
- The bill passed the House in July 2025 and later cleared the Senate Banking Committee in May 2026.
- The legislation still must be merged with the Agriculture Committee version and win 60 Senate votes.
- Democrats, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, argue the bill's anti-money laundering provisions are too weak.
If the Senate keeps the developer protections intact, the Clarity Act could give U.S. builders clearer legal ground to keep working on blockchain software. That could also help the bill gather enough support to move through the Senate process and toward the president's desk.
If lawmakers strip out the protections, major industry groups may continue to resist the bill, weakening its chance of becoming law. Even if the bill advances, it still faces a difficult path through committee merging, a 60-vote Senate threshold, and final reconciliation.
