CLARITY Act Likely to Pass by July, Says Kristin Smith

As uncertainty mounts over the CLARITY Act’s path forward, Kristin Smith, a major crypto figure, projected its potential passage by July. She acknowledged that passing standalone bills ahead of the US midterm elections is often challenging. However, she believes that the market structure bill has a strong chance of passing soon despite the political hurdles.

Will the CLARITY Act Pass by July?

According to a Fortune report, Solana Policy Institute President Kristin Smith shared an optimistic outlook on the proposed CLARITY Act. She posited that the crypto bill is most likely to pass by July 2026.

This projection aligns with the recent prediction of JPMorgan analysts. As CoinGape reported, JPMorgan predicted that the crypto bill would be approved by mid-year.

Significantly, Kristin Smith shed light on the challenges the crypto bill currently faces. She stated that the process is complex, as lawmakers cannot use a common strategy of attaching the CLARITY Act to major “must-pass” bills, such as year-end defense spending. This needs approval from both top Republican and Democratic leaders. But here, the key Democrat is Elizabeth Warren, who remains a strong critic of the market structure bill.

Despite these challenges, Smith believes that the bill is more likely to be approved. One of the major reasons she pointed out is the support from influential Democratic senators like Chuck Schumer and Ruben Gallego. Even more important is President Donald Trump’s involvement, stated Smith. She added,

“What is unique this time is the White House’s level of involvement. [Key aides] David Sacks and Patrick Witt are personally involved in solving outstanding issues. We are also seeing TradFi firms and banks getting involved for the first time, either for competitive reasons or to address their own interests. It’s complex, but everyone is at the table.”

Why Smith Believes Next Few Weeks Are Crucial

Notably, Kristin Smith believes that the progress of the CLARITY Act will depend on rapid developments in the coming weeks. The bill could still pass in December during Congress’s lame-duck session after the November midterm elections. However, Kristin Smith stressed that the coming weeks are especially important for its progress.

She added that the crypto bill’s stablecoin negotiations are already underway. Both banking and crypto leaders are facing pressure to make compromises. If the U.S. Senate Banking Committee reviews and advances the bill by March or April, it could move to the Senate floor. According to her, July will be a key deadline before the August congressional recess. She added, “If they miss that, the next window would be in the fall, but these next six weeks are critical.”