Senate Banking Committee Sets January 15 Markup for CLARITY Act

The Senate Banking Committee has officially scheduled the markup for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 on January 15 at 10 AM ET as the committee issued an official notice well ahead of the meeting, following its procedural rules.

Chairman Tim Scott confirmed the timeline and noted that the bill has strong bipartisan support after several amendments. The notice, shared by Punchbowl’s Brendan Pedersen, outlined key deadlines: the manager’s amendment will be circulated on January 12, and all member amendments are due by January 13.

This early notice ensures committee members have enough time to review proposed changes before the markup. The step comes after a recent bipartisan meeting on the CLARITY Act, signaling that the committee is now moving forward with the U.S. House version of the bill. Initially, the Senate was expected to focus on its own version of crypto legislation, but the shift to the House bill could accelerate the legislative process.

At the same time, the Senate Agriculture Committee is preparing its own crypto bill markup, which will focus on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) authority over digital assets. Unlike the Banking Committee, the Agriculture Committee only needs to give 24 hours’ notice before holding its markup.

Tim Scott Highlights Bipartisan Progress

Chairman Tim Scott emphasized that months of bipartisan negotiations have shaped the bill, which aims to provide clear crypto rules and help the U.S. become a global leader in digital assets. However, some parts of the bill remain controversial.

Advocacy group ‘Investors For Transparency’ has criticized the DeFi provisions, which would treat decentralized platforms as centralized intermediaries. Critics argue that these rules don’t fit the nature of decentralized networks. Democrats reportedly pushed for these provisions, making them a major point of debate ahead of the markup.

The scheduled January 15 markup is a key step for the CLARITY Act. It reflects progress toward clear crypto regulations, bipartisan cooperation, and addressing concerns from both lawmakers and industry stakeholders, moving the bill closer to becoming law.

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