CFTC advances crypto regulation plan after CLARITY Act defeat in Senate

What happened

As a result, the CFTC is moving forward with a proposed rulemaking under its current statutory powers, focusing on leveraged retail crypto transactions and a new crypto-asset-market exchange category.

Share The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has initiated its backup plan following the failure of the CLARITY Act to advance in the Senate. The Act, which aimed to establish a comprehensive federal framework for crypto-market regulation, was narrowly defeated in a Senate vote on September 15, 2026. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy.