-
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has voiced confidence in the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, calling it a “freight train” after witnessing strong bipartisan support during meetings in Washington.
-
The bill, alongside parallel initiatives like the BITCOIN Act, could reshape U.S. crypto regulation by clarifying agency roles, protecting builders, and ensuring innovation stays onshore.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has expressed strong optimism about the passage of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, describing it as a “freight train leaving the station” after meeting with lawmakers in Washington this week.
The proposed legislation seeks to clarify how different regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), oversee the crypto market, particularly non-stablecoin assets such as tokenized stocks.
According to Armstrong, the bill represents a turning point for U.S. crypto policy.
Strong Bipartisan Support Emerging
Armstrong emphasized that bipartisan momentum is building in Congress, with both Democrats and Republicans signaling willingness to push the bill forward. “The Senate is strongly supportive of getting this done; the members I met with on both sides of the aisle are ready to get this legislation passed,” Armstrong said in a video shared on X.
I was in DC the last few days working to get MARKET STRUCTURE legislation passed for crypto. This is how we ensure the crypto industry can be built here in America, driving innovation and protecting consumers, and making sure we never have another Gary Gensler trying to take your… pic.twitter.com/UqCH8jCNU8
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) September 18, 2025
He added that drafts of the bill are already circulating among lawmakers and will soon be presented for public input from industry stakeholders. “This is how we ensure the crypto industry can be built here in America, driving innovation and protecting consumers, and making sure we never have another Gary Gensler trying to take your rights,” Armstrong remarked, referencing the SEC chair’s controversial enforcement-first approach to crypto regulation.
Industry Voices Align on Priorities
The Capitol Hill meetings also drew executives from Ripple, Kraken, Circle, Cardano, and venture firms like a16z, Paradigm, and Multicoin Capital. Kraken CEO Arjun Sethi stressed that the bill must prioritize builders above incumbents.
The real fight is bigger: protecting the right to build protocols, chains, memes, tokenized equities, commodities, utilities, etc. and ensuring incentives stay with the builders, he said.
Armstrong also pushed back against banking groups that have attempted to restrict interest-bearing stablecoins, warning that lawmakers will not allow Wall Street to stifle innovation. He noted that similar proposals had already failed under the GENIUS Act.
Wider Crypto Policy Momentum
Beyond the Clarity Act, Washington’s attention is also shifting toward Bitcoin. Earlier this week, lawmakers met with 18 Bitcoin leaders, including MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor, to discuss the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve under the proposed BITCOIN Act.
The initiative, championed by Senator Cynthia Lummis, envisions the U.S. government acquiring one million BTC over the next five years through budget-neutral measures, such as revaluing Treasury gold certificates or leveraging tariff revenue.
Senator Lummis recently predicted that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act could reach President Donald Trump’s desk before year-end, highlighting the urgency lawmakers feel around giving the U.S. a clear and competitive regulatory framework.
With crypto companies, venture capital, and policymakers increasingly aligned, Armstrong believes the U.S. is finally approaching a regulatory breakthrough. “I’ve never been more bullish on the market structure bill getting passed,” he said. If successful, the legislation could mark a decisive moment in positioning the United States as a global hub for blockchain innovation.
