The push to pass crypto legislation in the United States has picked up pace again, this time with rare alignment between policymakers and one of the crypto industry’s most influential voices.
A new statement from Brian Armstrong has added new weight to calls for Congress to move the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, just as pressure is coming from Washington to bring the bill back into focus.
Treasury Steps In As Urgency Builds In Washington
One of the most consequential voices in American crypto just changed sides. Brian Armstrong, CEO of crypto exchange Coinbase, declared on social media that it is time to pass the Clarity Act, publicly endorsing the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 in a post on X, the same legislation he had twice rejected previously.
The comment by Armstrong is in response to a forceful Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and is one of the first few signs that the legislative standoff over US crypto market structure may finally be reaching its end.
Discussions around the CLARITY Act increased after Scott Bessent publicly called on lawmakers to act, noting that the United States risks falling behind in shaping the future of digital finance without clear regulations. In the opinion piece, Bessent mentioned how Congress has already spent years attempting to define how digital assets should be treated and that the time for debate is running out.
The Treasury Secretary also noted the difference in other jurisdictions with clearer regulatory rules, such as Abu Dhabi and Singapore. Therefore, passing the CLARITY Act is important to bringing back blockchain developers and crypto entrepreneurs to the United States after much of the industry relocated to these countries.
“There is one way to give developers and entrepreneurs the comfort to reshore: durable law,” he said.
The piece also connected the CLARITY Act to its predecessor, the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin framework that President Trump signed into law in July 2025. The Genius Act proved that progress is possible, but the progress cannot be fully realized without support from the CLARITY Act.
Armstrong Expresses Support
Armstrong responded to Bessent opinion, noting how it is time to pass the Clarity Act.
“Grateful for all the bipartisan work among Senators and staff over the past several months to make this a strong bill,” the Coinbase CEO said.
Armstrong’s response to Bessent’s remarks is a notable turn for Coinbase, which has played a complicated role in the bill’s journey to being passed. In January 2026, he publicly withdrew Coinbase’s support for the Senate Banking Committee’s draft, stating that the version was materially worse than the current regulatory status quo and that Coinbase would rather have no bill than a bad one.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins also backed the Treasury Secretary’s comments, stating in a post on X how it’s high time for Congress to future-proof against rogue regulators and advance comprehensive market structure legislation to US President Donald Trump’s desk.