White House pushes crypto rules through regulators after Clarity Act stall

According to a CoinDesk report, senior White House and U.S. Treasury officials stated that crypto market-structure efforts are moving from Congress to financial regulators. White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt and Luke Pettit, the Treasury’s assistant secretary for financial institutions, outlined this shift at a Washington policy event on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. They highlighted that the Senate’s recent failure to advance the Clarity Act ended the bill’s immediate legislative prospects.

The officials noted that the November 2026 midterms will decide if Republicans retain control of the House, Senate, or both. This result will influence how much legislative energy is available for new crypto laws during the lame-duck session.

“There’s no time to waste now,” Witt said, referencing current rulemaking at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He argued the administration should leverage existing powers since regulators are already updating market structures.

Pettit emphasized that the administration remains committed to implementing the GENIUS Act. He noted that Treasury and banking agencies are drafting stablecoin rules to satisfy statutory deadlines.

“I don't think it's dead, but I do think that there is a sense that the focus is shifted to the administration,” Pettit said regarding the Clarity Act.