CLARITY Act Faces Growing Scrutiny as Senate Markup Begins

Lawmakers Warn CLARITY Act Could Widen Crypto Finance Gaps

Senate Democrats intensified criticism of the CLARITY Act on May 14, 2026, warning that the crypto market structure bill could leave major illicit finance vulnerabilities unresolved as the Senate Banking Committee began debating the legislation. The pressure campaign coincided with a separate request from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jack Reed for a federal investigation into World Liberty Financial (WLF).

The markup adds urgency to the fight over the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act. The Senate Banking Committee is currently debating the bill. Lawmakers are weighing a revised 309-page draft backed by Chairman Tim Scott and Senators Cynthia Lummis and Thom Tillis, with more than 130 amendments filed. Warren submitted 44 amendments, including one aimed at political corruption in banking applications. The draft also includes a stablecoin compromise and added housing language, underscoring the effort to assemble support before Memorial Day recess and keep a potential summer floor vote alive.

The advisory released by the Senate Banking Committee minority staff stated:

“As Congress considers crypto market structure legislation, it must protect Americans by closing known illicit finance vulnerabilities in our own system and lay the foundation for pressing other countries to do the same. It must avoid creating new carveouts that can be exploited by sanctions evaders, terrorists, cartels, child abusers, and other criminals.”

Minority staff identified several alleged gaps in the bill, including DeFi exemptions, a Tornado Cash loophole, and a stablecoin sanctions gap. The analysis also argued that the legislation fails to adopt a global standard for identifying crypto platforms that must prevent money laundering and other illicit activity. Committee Democrats cited open-source intelligence reports, law enforcement warnings, industry analyses, and government findings throughout the advisory.

WLF Probe Request Adds Pressure for Clarity Act Markup

Separately, Warren and Reed’s request gave the broader critique a specific enforcement example. Their letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche followed Wall Street Journal reporting that WLF, the Trump family-backed crypto company, partnered with a crypto venture whose flagship project had previously been led by U.S.-sanctioned individuals.

The lawmakers noted that those individuals were sanctioned in October 2025 over ties to Prince Group, described as a massive transnational criminal enterprise. The senators questioned whether WLF vets partners, counterparties, and users, while citing reports that WLF sold tokens in 2025 to buyers linked to North Korean hackers, sanctioned Russian money-laundering entities, and other illicit actors. They wrote:

“As Congress considers crypto market structure legislation, it must include provisions that protect our national security, guard against illicit finance, and support law enforcement efforts to hold criminal actors accountable.”

Warren and Reed requested written responses by May 26, 2026, on potential enforcement actions against firms with inadequate controls. Together, the minority advisory and WLF inquiry are placing greater focus on national security, sanctions enforcement, and illicit finance oversight as lawmakers debate the CLARITY Act.