President Donald Trump may be required to sell his crypto holdings as part of ethics provisions in the CLARITY Act, according to draft language that has not been made public. The provision would mandate that the president divest from digital assets while in office, though the specifics remain unclear.
The mandate
The ethics section of the bill is straightforward: the president can't hold crypto. That means any Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other tokens in Trump's name would have to be sold. The draft doesn't spell out how the sale would be handled, what qualifies as a crypto holding, or whether it covers assets held indirectly through trusts or funds.
What we don't know
The draft provisions haven't been released, so there's no way to know when the mandate would take effect or how it would be enforced. It's also not clear whether Trump currently owns any crypto. The provision could apply to assets held directly or through intermediaries, but that level of detail isn't public.
The CLARITY Act is a piece of legislation that includes ethics rules for the executive branch. If this provision becomes law, it would be a notable restriction on the president's financial activities. For Trump, who has been openly friendly to the crypto industry, the requirement would force a choice between his personal holdings and the presidency.
Next steps
The draft ethics provisions have not been made public, and there's no timeline for their release. Until they are, the exact requirements, exemptions, and enforcement mechanisms remain unknown. Lawmakers and the public will have to wait for the full text to see just how far the mandate goes.
