passage

According to Reuters, the cryptocurrency advocacy organization Stand With Crypto, supported by Coinbase, announced endorsements for 32 incumbent congressional candidates for the midterm elections in November. All 32 candidates voted last year in favor of sending the cryptocurrency industry's top legislative priority, the CLARITY Act, out of the House of Representatives, which is currently stalled in the Senate due to opposition from some lawmakers.The list includes key allies in the cryptocurrency industry such as Republican Representatives Tom Emmer and Bill Huizenga, as well as Democratic Representatives Ritchie Torres and Josh Gottheimer, some of whom are facing fiercely competitive races.Mason Lynaugh, Executive Director of Stand With Crypto, stated, "In 2024, we proved that crypto voters are real, and in 2026, we want to demonstrate our organizational mobilization ability; our advocates are a voting bloc that can truly impact outcomes."Stand With Crypto was launched by Coinbase in 2023 to influence elections by mobilizing voters rather than through large-scale campaign spending, and it claims to have over 3 million registered "advocates." In 2024, the cryptocurrency industry invested $170 million to support congressional candidates, most of whom won, and pushed Congress to pass the GENIUS Act for stablecoin regulation. During this midterm election cycle, the cryptocurrency industry has already invested nearly $200 million through channels such as the Fairshake super PAC to continue solidifying its influence in Congress.

U.S. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated at today's cryptocurrency meeting with President Trump at the White House that the most important priority right now is for Congress to send the CLARITY Act to the President's desk for his signature, and the SEC is fully supporting this effort.

On Wednesday local time, U.S. President Trump met with executives from cryptocurrency and fintech companies such as Coinbase, Ripple, Robinhood, Gemini, and Chainlink in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and delivered a speech in support of cryptocurrencies.Trump stated that his administration has "completely ended the war on cryptocurrencies," and the industry is thriving. The U.S. must maintain its "undisputed leadership" in areas such as Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, prediction markets, and artificial intelligence, and is committed to becoming the "world capital of cryptocurrency."He mentioned that the U.S. government has discussed accumulating a "significant amount" of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, stating that cryptocurrencies "greatly alleviate the pressure on the dollar." At the same time, he urged Congress to pass a "fair version" of the Clarity Act, claiming this would allow the U.S. to lead over China and other countries.Trump also noted that the SEC chairman is working to bring Hyperliquid to the U.S. market in a compliant manner; and reviewed the policy achievements of the signed Genius Act (stablecoin legislation), strategic Bitcoin reserves, and the prohibition of CBDCs.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong recently released a vision board on the X platform, expressing hope for strong bipartisan support for the CLARITY Act on September 15, followed by Uptober, and the start of the next cryptocurrency bull market, stating "as predicted."The CLARITY Act aims to provide a clearer market structure and regulatory framework for cryptocurrency assets in the United States. Armstrong's statement reflects his expectations for regulatory progress and a warming market sentiment.

According to CoinDesk, Rob Nichols, President and CEO of the American Bankers Association (ABA), stated that the goal is to strengthen rather than block the passage of the CLARITY Act. He believes that the digital asset industry needs a clear regulatory framework, but a key provision in the bill regarding stablecoin rewards still needs to be tightened further. Nichols pointed out that the GENIUS Act, set for 2025, has already prohibited stablecoin issuers from paying interest or returns to holders, and the current controversy revolves around whether related parties, such as cryptocurrency exchanges, can offer similar interest-like rewards.He believes that if stablecoin wallets attract bank deposits out through such mechanisms, it could weaken the funding base that banks use for small business loans, housing mortgages, and agricultural financing. The American Bankers Association suggests amending the relevant statements in the bill to prohibit stablecoin rewards that are "substantially similar" to interest payments and to remove certain wording that may cause ambiguity. Nichols stated that these modifications would not prevent crypto companies from offering other reward programs but could avoid the reward mechanism evolving into a disguised form of deposit interest.He also mentioned that the American Bankers Association is pushing for senators to amend the relevant provisions before the vote in September and believes that the U.S. can be both a global banking center and a global crypto center, provided that clear and consistent regulatory rules are established.

Brian Armstrong posted on the X platform expressing appreciation for Paul S. Atkins and the SEC for their progress on token classification, calling it a long-awaited step towards modernizing the financial system. He stated that he has been advocating for clear cryptocurrency rules for years, and token classification is a necessary measure for the U.S. to maintain innovation.Brian Armstrong also expressed anticipation for the SEC to release the Innovation Exemption to promote on-chain trading of tokenized stocks. He mentioned that relevant progress is being made and that the CLARITY Act should be pushed through as soon as possible, moving the market on-chain before leading the way in other regions.

Matthew Sigel, the Head of Digital Asset Research at VanEck, stated that if the U.S. CLARITY Act is passed, it will trigger "an enormous relief rally" in L1 tokens.Sigel's remarks focus on the potential impact of regulatory progress on native assets of public chains. The CLARITY Act aims to provide a clearer regulatory framework for digital assets, and the market generally views it as one of the important legislative variables affecting the risk appetite for crypto assets.

According to Jinshi reports, talks between Iran and Oman have entered a "new phase," with both sides expected to reach a consensus. The discussions aim to establish an intermediate passage across the Strait of Hormuz to ensure navigational safety while maintaining Iran's rights as a coastal state. Once activated, this new passage will replace the existing northern and southern routes.

According to Jinshi reports, the Persian Gulf Strait Management Authority announced that due to aggressive actions by the United States, passage through the Strait of Hormuz is no longer possible. The announcement stated that once stability and calm are restored, all applications will be reviewed in order and according to the timeline, and permits will be gradually issued.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated at a Senate Finance Committee hearing that the Treasury is steadily advancing the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve. At the same time, Scott Bessent urged lawmakers to support the digital asset regulatory bill Clarity Ac and expressed hope that the bill could pass this summer to bring the best practices of the U.S. to the domestic market, making the U.S. the capital of global innovation. Regarding the strategic Bitcoin reserve, Scott Bessent pointed out that although the process is complex, it is moving forward, ensuring that best practices are adopted in the complex process so that it can be sustainable in the future.

According to Cointelegraph, White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt stated that the CLARITY Act will meet about 90% of the regulatory needs of the crypto industry.

CoinList announced the launch of Passage, positioned as the "access layer" for on-chain capital markets, aimed at providing compliant distribution, capital access, allocation, and infrastructure support for tokenized assets.CoinList stated that as tokenized stocks, funds, yield products, and Pre-IPO assets gradually migrate on-chain, the current market still faces fragmentation issues among issuers, chains, and compliance rules, and that "asset tokenization does not equal effective distribution." Passage will connect issuers, platforms, and investors, helping tokenized assets achieve large-scale on-chain circulation.According to reports, Passage is built on CoinList's existing infrastructure. CoinList claims that since 2017, its platform has covered over 160 countries and has completed more than $1.2 billion in asset distribution.

According to The Block, Patrick Witt, the executive director of the White House Digital Asset Advisory Committee, stated at the Consensus conference that the goal is to pass the crypto market structure bill into law before the deadline. He believes the Senate may advance the legislation in June, allowing enough time for the House to pass its version as well.The main obstacle for the bill in the Senate Banking Committee is the handling of stablecoin rewards. The compromise language released last week seems to have resolved this issue, but the banking industry association believes there are still "insufficiencies." Additionally, ethical provisions have become a new focus. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stated that she would not support the bill without ethical provisions. Witt mentioned that discussions with Democrats are progressing well, and the rules will apply equally to new interns in the White House and Capitol Hill, without targeting specific individuals.

Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett posted on the X platform that U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks issued a joint statement regarding the compromise proposal on stablecoin earnings in Section 404 of the CLARITY Act. The statement may indicate that the relevant agreement is close to being finalized.The statement said that the two have discussed concerns from various stakeholders about the banking industry's worries regarding deposit outflows, and the related compromise proposal will prohibit stablecoin rewards similar to bank deposit interest while allowing crypto companies to offer other forms of customer rewards.

According to Jinshi citing CCTV news reports, sources from the United States indicate that based on ship tracking data, as of the afternoon of the 19th British time, no vessel passage records were observed in the Strait of Hormuz on that day.It is reported that on the 18th, at least 13 oil tankers changed course and turned back while attempting to leave the Persian Gulf, abandoning their plans to continue through the strait.

According to the Senate Banking Committee's official website, next week (April 21) there is only one nomination hearing on the agenda, and there are no scheduled discussions/modifications for the anticipated digital assets or CLARITY Act.Additionally, Politico reports that Senator Thom Tillis will release the final draft this week, which is the last piece needed before the committee holds a markup meeting. The bill still needs to align with the Senate Agriculture Committee, pass the Senate's 60-vote threshold in a full vote (requiring Democratic support), and then coordinate with the House of Representatives.Some analysts point out that if a markup meeting is not scheduled between April 20 and 25, the midterm election politics could completely stifle the bill, as bipartisan cooperation would vanish entirely.

U.S. Senator Lummis stated on social media that the previous administration led to an outflow of the digital asset industry. She emphasized that now is the time to establish clear regulatory rules for the digital asset industry and welcome its return to the U.S., calling for the passage of the Clarity Act.

According to CCTV news reports, Iran stated that the U.S. Navy destroyers "Frank E. Peterson" and "Michael Murphy" attempted to "infiltrate" the Strait of Hormuz the previous day, and indicated that the U.S. warships used the cover of the ceasefire conditions to create false propaganda of "successful passage" and to influence the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations.Iran claimed that the two warships attempted to disguise themselves as Omani merchant vessels sailing off the southern coast of Oman, choosing a dangerous route that was very close to the coast and had a shallow draft, hoping to enter the Persian Gulf through "covert" movements and the "negligence" of the Iranian military during the ceasefire. The Iranian Navy ultimately intercepted them at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. The two destroyers were forced to withdraw to the Oman Sea without being able to enter the Strait of Hormuz.