Grayscale: U.S. cryptocurrency regulation can still advance without the CLARITY Act

The head of research at digital asset management company Grayscale, Zach Pandl, stated in an analysis that even if Congress fails to pass the CLARITY Act this year, U.S. crypto regulation can still advance in areas such as stablecoins, token issuance, tokenized securities, and perpetual futures.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act on July 18, 2025, establishing a regulatory framework for the issuance of payment stablecoins. The act requires issuers to provide sufficient reserves and publicly disclose the composition of reserves monthly, prohibiting misleading claims that tokens are federally insured, backed by the U.S. government, or considered legal tender. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed Regulation Crypto Assets, which aims to allow eligible projects to raise no more than $5 million over four years, or no more than $75 million every 12 months. Relevant exemptions and investment contract safe harbors are still in the proposal stage, with the public comment submission deadline set for October 20.

The recent procedural milestone for the CLARITY Act was the termination debate vote on the motion to advance held on September 15, which requires 60 votes to pass and is not the final vote. Grayscale stated that the act would still help clarify the division of regulatory authority between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), but its failure to pass would not halt the regulatory measures already in progress.