The Blockchain Association sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday, urging swift passage of the CLARITY Act. Signed by 160 former national security, intelligence, and law enforcement professionals, the letter argues that without a clear federal framework, crypto activity moves offshore into opaque markets — making it harder for US investigators to combat financial crime.
Who’s behind the letter
The list of signatories includes former officials from the FBI, CIA, NSA, and other federal agencies. Their core message: Congress needs to act before more crypto-related crime shifts beyond the reach of US law enforcement. The Blockchain Association itself framed the bill as an enforcement enhancement, not a deregulatory push.
What the CLARITY Act actually does
The bill expands Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions requirements, tightens anti-illicit finance obligations, and improves information sharing between Treasury, DOJ, FBI, DEA, and the private sector. It also bolsters safeguards for digital asset kiosks — think transaction monitoring, reporting duties, transaction limits, anti-fraud provisions, and dedicated law enforcement points of contact. The idea is to give cops better tools without weakening consumer protections.
Next steps — and where things stand
The Agriculture Committee approved its portion of the CLARITY Act back in January. A full Senate vote is expected this summer. But there’s a complication: the House passed a different draft of the bill last fall. That means the final Senate text may need to be reconciled with the House version before anything can land on the president’s desk. A virtual town hall on the legislation is scheduled for Thursday, with Senator Cynthia Lummis, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and White House Executive Director Patrick Witt all slated to participate.
