Last Friday, March 20, 2026, Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) announced a preliminary agreement with the White House regarding rewards in stablecoins, a crucial point of the proposal known as the CLARITY Act. This approach seeks to resolve the impasse between traditional banks and the digital assets sector, which had been blocking the progress of legislation in the U.S. Congress.
Patrick Witt, senior crypto policy advisor at the White House, described the agreement as a significant milestone for the project’s development. However, in the meantime, industry experts warn of remaining obstacles. Alex Thorn, research director at Galaxy Digital, emphasized that the disputes over stablecoin rewards represent only one of several legislative challenges that need to be overcome.
In addition to issues involving stablecoins, Thorn highlighted that the text needs to advance regulation of decentralized finance, known as DeFi, as well as improve protections for cryptocurrency developers, clearly define the powers of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and establish stricter ethical parameters. These complex gaps make legal standardization difficult, especially in an innovative and fast-changing environment.
According to Thorn, the CLARITY Act should go to a committee vote by April 2026 to have a real chance of being considered in the Senate floor this year. The expectation is that the joint vote will take place by early May due to a tight schedule and the need to complete the legislative process within the current term.
Finally, resistance from Wall Street-related groups to stablecoin rewards, motivated by fears of potential mass withdrawals that could affect bank deposits, explains the reason for the negotiation stalemate until recently. Thus, the recent consensus between lawmakers and the White House may unlock legal progress, but the CLARITY Act’s passage still depends on overcoming the remaining complex regulatory disagreements.
Legislative context and implications for the financial and digital sector
The CLARITY Act, a high-profile legislative proposal in the United States, aims to establish clear rules for the cryptocurrency market. In 2024, the project faces a crucial deadline for approval, as delays could push the decision to 2026, affecting the pace of regulation in the digital financial sector.
Despite the legislation’s relevance, there is significant resistance from traditional banks, which fear impacts on the financial system’s stability. However, within Congress, political divergences create a scenario of intense debate about the government’s role in overseeing digital currencies.
One of the central points of the project is the regulation of stablecoins, digital currencies that maintain stable value by being backed by real assets. The legislation seeks to define specific parameters for their use, given the increasing popularity and function of these financial instruments in the digital market.
Furthermore, the text discusses the roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the crypto sphere. The regulatory agency’s role could be expanded to include greater oversight, which has raised questions among specialists and entrepreneurs in the decentralized finance (DeFi) field.
Developers active in the crypto market will also be addressed in the proposal, which includes provisions to ensure some legal protections during the creation and offering of digital products. However, the balance between technological innovation and legal security remains a point of convergence and disagreement in the final drafting.
Overall, the CLARITY Act aims to reconcile digital financial evolution with the maintenance of traditional banking stability. The outcome of this negotiation should directly impact the future of decentralized finance and the participation of regulated digital agents in the global market.
The next step involves the analysis and voting of the project by the relevant committees, and the expectation is that the process will advance still in 2024 to avoid prolonged delays. Additionally, the resolution of this issue will have international repercussions, as U.S. regulation serves as a reference for other countries.
