Coinbase says U.S. crypto rules gain clarity after Clarity Act vote

Traders Union
All News
Crypto
Coinbase on U.S. crypto clarity

Highlights

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act's Senate vote clarifies U.S. crypto regulation, with broad bipartisan and industry support.
The bill assigns SEC oversight to securities-tokens and the CFTC to decentralized commodities, creating a federal framework expected to boost institutional crypto adoption.
Armstrong reports more than 90% of 165 million agentic payments occurred on Coinbase's Base blockchain, highlighting agentic finance as a major emerging growth area.

Senate vote sharpens crypto policy outlook

As reported by CoinDesk, citing CNBC, Armstrong says Coinbase sees a favorable regulatory outcome either way because passage would deliver legislation, while failure would still be followed by rulemaking from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act seeks to divide oversight between the SEC for tokens deemed securities and the CFTC for decentralized commodities such as bitcoin. The bill is designed to create a federal framework for crypto exchanges, brokers and stablecoins, a step the industry expects could support wider institutional adoption.

Armstrong says the measure enters the vote with broad bipartisan compromise and support from groups including law enforcement bodies, banks and crypto companies. He adds that issues Coinbase had previously identified as essential have now been resolved, while discussions continue over ethics rules for elected officials holding digital assets.

He says the White House has already offered a strong ethics provision and that Democrats are seeking stricter terms that would include divestiture. Armstrong says the two sides appear close to a solution.

Competition debate and new growth areas

Armstrong also pushes back on criticism from JPMorgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon over the bill's stablecoin provisions, arguing that opponents with major payments businesses have competitive motives. He says firms including Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon and Fidelity support the legislation.

Beyond the policy fight, Armstrong identifies agentic finance as an early but potentially large growth market for Coinbase. He says more than 90% of roughly 165 million agentic payments recorded so far have taken place on Base, the blockchain created by Coinbase, using x402 and USDC, which he says gives the company a leading position in the segment.

Armstrong also reiterates his longer-term view on bitcoin, telling CNBC that a price of $400,000 by 2030 is a reasonable target. He adds that he believes the latest bitcoin market cycle has already found its bottom.

Our earlier coverage of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act tracked its advance in the U.S. Senate ahead of the Sept. 15 procedural vote and explained why the bill is central to defining SEC vs. CFTC oversight. We also noted that bitcoin’s rebound has been supported by regulatory and institutional tailwinds even without Fed rate cuts, while the policy backdrop remains sensitive to inflation and potential renewed tightening.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.