Senate Democrats Reopen Crypto Talks to Finalize Crypto Market Structure Bill

U.S. Senate Democratic leaders are scheduled to resume critical negotiations with the cryptocurrency industry leaders in an effort to finalize the CLARITY Act. Representatives from both sides are expected to meet today, January 16, 2026, after the abrupt postponement of a major legislative markup earlier this week for the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act. It is a 278-page bill designed to create a formal regulatory structure for the U.S. crypto market. 

Democrats to Resume Talks for CLARITY Act

The momentum for the bill was halted on 14^th January, 2026, when Coinbase withdrew its support for the bill. Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, cited concerns over late-stage amendments. The cause of his concern was the newly added provisions that would restrict stablecoin rewards and potentially treat decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols like traditional banks. 

Senior democratic senators, including Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), are in favor of stronger consumer protections and ethics provisions while balancing industry innovation. Key issues remaining on the table include the division of authority between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). 

The legal status of “stablecoin yield” is also a major point of discussion for all parties involved.